i 


I 


i 


GIFT   OF 


ill 


CATHEDRAL   CITIES  OF   SPAIN 


•"XT 


::..L-!L-:.*"'  .      •.  ■....■  i.. ,  i^?Fy-^  •■"..^■v*.  fa»^&.*  •  .■ ,: ..-.'. i  -* .  -i  . 


SANTIAGO. 
So;(//;  Door  of  the  Cathedral. 


7^ 


CATHEDRAL    CITIES 

OF 

SPAIN 


BY 

W.  W.  COLLINS,  R.  L 


ILLUSTRATIONS   BY  THE  AUTHOR 


NEW  YORK 

DODD,  MEAD  AND  COMPANY 

1909 


>  >  J ',  >  '  )  '     )  )  , ) 


>'   >   '0   3 


'  "','^  '.'■>  ;>  ::  ' 


Copyright,  igoQ, 
By  Dodd,  Mead  and  Company 

Published  October,  1909 


'q'~U-w«w-^ 


«  •  « 
«   «  « 


PAIN,  the  country  of  contrasts,  of  races  dif- 
fering from  one  another  in  habits,  customs, 
and  language,  has  one  great  thing  that  welds 
it  into  a  homogenous  nation,  and  this  is  its 
Religion.  Wherever  one's  footsteps  wander,  be  it  in  the 
progressive  provinces  of  the  north,  the  mediaevalism  of 
the  Great  Plain,  or  in  that  still  eastern  portion  of  the 
south,  Andalusia,  this  one  thing  is  ever  omnipresent  and 
stamps  itself  on  the  memory  as  the  great  living  force 
throughout  the  Peninsula. 

In  her  Cathedrals  and  Churches,  her  ruined  Monas- 
teries and  Convents,  there  is  more  than  abundant  evi- 
dence of  the  vitality  of  her  Faith;  and  we  can  see  how, 
after  the  expulsion  of  the  Moor,  the  wealth  of  the  na- 
tion poured  into  the  coffers  of  the  Church  and  there 
centralised  the  life  of  the  nation. 

In  the  mountain  fastnesses  of  Asturias  the  churches 
of  Santa  Maria  de  Naranco  and  San  Miguel  de  Lino, 

[v] 


PREFACE 

dating  from  the  ninth  century  and  contemporary  with 
San  Pablo  and  Santa  Cristina,  in  Barcelona,  are  the 
earliest  Christian  buildings  in  Spain.  As  the  Moor  was 
pushed  further  south,  a  new  style  followed  his  retreat- 
ing steps;  and  the  Romanesque,  introduced  from  over 
the  Pyrenees,  became  the  adopted  form  of  architecture 
in  the  more  or  less  settled  parts  of  the  country.  Creep- 
ing south  through  Leon,  where  San  Isidoro  is  well  worth 
mention,  we  find  the  finest  examples  of  the  period  in 
the  eleventh  and  twelfth  centuries,  at  Segovia,  Avila, 
and  the  grand  Catedral  Vieja  of  Salamanca. 

Spain  sought  help  from  France  to  expel  the  Moor, 
and  it  is  but  natural  that  the  more  advanced  nation 
should  leave  her  mark  somewhere  and  in  some  way  in 
the  country  she  pacifically  invaded.  Before  the  spread 
of  this  influence  became  general,  we  find  at  least  one 
great  monument  of  native  genius  rise  up  at  Tarragona. 
The  Transition  Cathedral  there  can  lay  claim  to  be^en- 
tirely  Spanish.  It  is  the  epitome  and  outcome  of  a  yearn- 
ing for  the  display  of  Spain's  own  talent,  and  is  one  of 
the  most  interesting  and  beautiful  in  the  whole  country. 

Toledo,  Leon,  and  Burgos  are  the  three  Cathedrals 
known  as  the  "  French  "  Cathedrals  of  Spain.  They  are 
Gothic  and  the  first  named  is  the  finest  of  all.  Spanish 
Gothic  is  best  exemplified  in  the  Cathedral  of  Barcelona. 

[vi] 


PREFACE 

For  late-Gothic,  we  must  go  to  the  huge  structures  of 
Salamanca,  Segovia,  and  the  Cathedral  at  Seville,  which 
almost  overwhelms  in  the  grandeur  of  its  scale. 

After  the  close  of  the  fifteenth  century  Italian  or 
Renaissance  influence  began  to  be  felt,  and  the  decora- 
tion of  the  Plateresque  style  became  the  vogue.  San 
Marcos  at  Leon,  the  University  of  Salamanca,  and  the 
Casa  de  Ayuntamiento  at  Seville  are  among  the  best 
examples  of  this.  The  influence  of  Churriguera,  who 
evolved  the  Churrigueresque  style,  is  to  be  met  with  in 
almost  every  Cathedral  in  the  country.  He  it  is  who 
was  responsible  for  those  great  gilded  altars  with  their 
enormous  twisted  pillars  so  familiar  to  travellers  in 
Spain  ;-and  which,  though  no  doubt  a  tribute  to  the  glory 
of  God,  one  feels  are  more  a  vulgar  display  of  wealth 
than  a  tasteful  or  artistic  addition  to  her  architecture. 
The  finest  of  the  Renaissance  Cathedrals  is  that  of 
Granada,  and  the  most  obtrusive  piece  of  churriguer- 
esque is  the  Cartuja  in  the  same  city. 
.  Taking  the  Cathedrals  as  a  whole,  the  two  most  un- 
familiar and  notable  features  are  the  Coros  or  Choirs, 
and  the  Retablos.  These  latter — gorgeous  backings  to 
the  High  Altar,  generally  ill-lit,  with  a  superabundance 
of  carving  sometimes  coloured  and  gilded,  sometimes  of 
plain   stone — are   of    Low-country   or    Flemish    origin. 

[vii] 


PREFACE 

The  former,  with  one  exception  at  Oviedo,  are  placed 
in  the  nave  west  of  the  crossing,  and  enclose,  as  a  rule, 
two  or  more  bays  in  this  direction.  Every  Cathedral  is 
a  museum  of  art,  and  these  two  features  are  the  most 
worth  study. 


[viii] 


Qlnnt^ttte 


CHAPTER  PAGE 

I     C.'\DIZ I 

II  Seville        lo 

III  Cordova 32 

IV  Granada 48 

V  Malaga 83 

VI  Valencia 93 

VII  ToRTOSA no 

VIII  Tarragona 117 

IX  Barcelona 131 

X  Gerona 143 

XI  Toledo        152 

XII  Salamanca 173 

XIII  AviLA 193 

XIV  Segovia        205 

v^  XV  Saragossa 225 

■  XVI  Santiago 243 

XVII  TuY 258 

XVIII  Orense 263 

XIX   ASTORGA 270 

XX  Zamora 278 

XXI  Leon 286 

XXII  OviEDo    .     .     .     .     o 304 

XXIII  Valladolid 316 

XXIV  Burgos 328 

Index          353 


3llu0tratt0n0 


South  Door  of  the  Cathedral.  Santiago     .     ,     .  Frontispiece 

PAGE 

The  Cathedral.    Cadiz        3 

The  Market  Place.    Cadiz 7 

View  over  the  Town.    Seville 13 

In  the  Cathedral.    Seville 17 

The  Giralda  Tower.  Seville 21 

The  Patio  de  las  Doncellas.  In  the  Alcazar.  Seville   .  25 

Fountain  in  the  Court  of  Oranges.   Cordoba  ....  33 

The  Bridge.    Cordoba 37 

Interior  of  the  Mesquita.    Cordoba 41 

The  Campanario  Tower.    Cordoba 45 

Exterior  of  the  Cathedral.    Granada   ; 51 

The  Alhambra.   Granada 57 

The  Alhambra,  Court  of  Lions.  Granada  , 63 

Generalife.    Granada 69 

Carrera  de  Darro.   Granada 75 

View  from  the  Harbour.    Malaga   ,. 85 

The  Market.   Malaga 89 

Door  of  the  Cathedral.    Valencia 95 

Religious  Procession.    Valencia 10 1 

San  Pablo.   Valencia 105 

Tortosa       1. 113 

Tarragona         119 

The  Cloisters.    Tarragona 123 

The  Archbishop's  Tower.    Tarragona 127 

The  Rambla.    Barcelona 133 

In  the  Cathedral.    Barcelona 139 

The  Cattle  Market.    Gerona 145 

The  Cathedral.     Gerona 149 


ILLUSTRATIONS 

PAGE 

The  Alcantara  Bridge.   Toledo 155 

The  Zocodover.    Toledo 159 

The  South  Transept.    Toledo 163 

The  Cathedral.    Toledo 167 

Salamanca i75 

The  old  Cathedral.    Salamanca 181 

An  Old  Street.   Salamanca 187 

Avila 195 

Puerta  de  San  Vicente.    Gateway  at  Avila     .      .      .      .  199 

Segovia  at  Sunset 209 

The  Aqueduct.     Segovia 213 

Plaza  Mayor.   Segovia 219 

Easter  Procession.   Saragossa 229 

La  Seo.    Saragossa 233 

In  the  Old  Cathedral.    Saragossa 237 

The  Cathedral.    Santiago        245 

Interior  of  the  Cathedral.    Santiago ,  249 

TuY ,  259 

In  the  Cathedral.   Orense ,  265 

Astorga 273 

The  Cathedral.    Zamora ,281 

San  Marcos.    Leon 289 

The  West  Porch  of  the  Cathedral.    Leon    .      .      .      .,  293 

The  Cathedral.    Leon 299 

In  the  Cathedral.  Oviedo ,  307 

The  Cloisters.   Oviedo 311 

San  Pablo.   Valladolid 1  319 

Santa  Maria  la  Antigua.    Valladolid ,  323 

The  Cathedral.    Burgos 1  33i 

Arch  of  Santa  Maria.    Burgos 1  337 

The  Capilla  Mayor.   Burgos 343 


.1  >  .»  >  1       ■> 

»     ^  1 '    1  »     »  1 

» *• ,  '  '>  •*  '    '  1  * 

>      »  »  .1  »  ■>        » 


CADIZ 

T  one  time  the  greatest  port  in  the  world — 
"Where  are  thy  glories  now,  oh,  Cadiz?" 
She  is  still  a  White  City  lying  embosomed 
on  a  sea  of  emerald  and  topaz.  Her  streets 
are  still  full  of  the  colour  of  the  East,  but  alas!  Seville 
has  robbed  her  of  her  trade,  and  in  the  hustle  of  modern 
life  she  is  too  far  from  the  busy  centre,  too  much  on  the 
outskirts  of  everything,  to  be  anything  more  than  a  port 
of  call  for  American  tourists  and  a  point  from  whence 
the  emigrant  leaves  his  native  country. 

This  isolation  is  one  of  her  great  charms,  and  the 
recollections  I  have  carried  away  of  her  quiet  clean 
streets,  her  white  or  pink  washed  houses  with  their  flat 
roofs  and  miradores,  her  brilliant  sun  and  blue  sea,  can 
never  be  effaced  by  Time's  subtle  hand. 

Landing  from  a  coasting  boat  from  Gibraltar,  I  began 
my  travels  through  Spain  at  Cadiz;  and  it  was  with 
intense  regret,  so  pleasant  was  the  change  from  the  grey 
skies  and  cold  winds  of  England,  that  I  took  my  final 
stroll  along  the  broad  Alameda  bordered  with  palms  of 

[I] 


''       CATiiEDRAL   CITIES   OF   SPAIN 

ailsorts,  and  lined  with  other  exotic  growth — that  I  bid 
good-bye  to  the  Parque  de  Genoves  where  many  a  pleas- 
ant hour  had  been  spent  in  the  grateful  shade  of  its  trees. 
I  shall  probably  never  again  lean  idly  over  the  sea- 
washed  walls  and  watch  the  graceful  barques,  with  their 
cargoes  of  salt,  spread  their  sails  to  the  breeze  and  glide 
away  on  the  long  voyage  to  South  America. 

Looking  out  eastwards  over  the  marshes  I  was  at  first 
much  puzzled  to  know  what  were  the  white  pyramids 
that  stood  in  rows  like  the  tents  of  an  invading  host. 
Then  I  was  told.  Shallow  pans  are  dug  out  in  the  marsh 
and  the  sea  let  in.  After  evaporation  this  is  repeated 
again  and  again,  until  the  saline  deposit  is  thick  enough 
to  be  scraped  and  by  degrees  grows  into  a  pyramid. 
Every  pan  is  named  after  a  saint  from  whom  good  luck 
is  implored.  No,  I  doubt  if  ever  my  eyes  will  wander 
again  over  the  blue  waters  to  the  marsh  lands  of  San 
Fernando. 

Life  is  short,  and  I  can  hardly  hope  that  Fate  will 
carry  me  back  to  those  sea  walls  and  once  more  permit 
me  as  the  sun  goes  down  to  speculate  on  the  catch  of  the 
fishing  fleet  as  each  boat  makes  for  its  haven  in  the  short 
twilight  of  a  southern  clime.  I  cannot  but  regret  that  all 
this  is  of  the  past,  but  I  shall  never  regret  that  at  Cadiz, 
the  most  enchanting  of  Spain's  seaports,  began  my  ac- 
quaintance with  her  many  glorious  cities. 

[2] 


1        > 
>       1 


1        111 

>   '    1 


1     ,       ,'  '     >  • 
>  1     >     >  '       '     ' 

' ,'  1  '  I  1 1        I      '  1     1    '1     •    >  '     ' 


-i*mM»  /I     t4 


3  .« 


CADIZ 

In  ancient  times  Cadiz  was  the  chief  mart  for  the  tin 
of  the  Cassiterides  and  the  amber  of  the  Baltic.  Founded 
by  the  Tyrians  as  far  back  as  i  lOO  B.  C,  it  was  the  Gadir 
(fortress)  of  the  Phoenicians.  Later  on  Hamilcar  and 
Hannibal  equipped  their  armies  and  built  their  fleets 
here.  The  Romans  named  the  city  Gades,  and  it  became 
second  only  to  Padua  and  Rome.  After  the  discovery  of 
America,  Cadiz  became  once  more  a  busy  port,  the  great 
silver  fleets  discharged  their  precious  cargoes  in  its  har- 
bour and  from  the  estuary  sailed  many  a  man  whose 
descendants  have  created  the  great  Spain  over  the  water. 

The  loss  of  the  Spanish  colonies  ruined  Cadiz  and  it 
has  never  regained  the  place  in  the  world  it  once  held. 
Huge  quays  are  about  to  be  constructed  and  the  present 
King  has  just  laid  the  first  stone  of  these,  in  the  hopes 
that  trade  may  once  more  be  brought  to  a  city  that  sleeps. 

There  are  two  Cathedrals  in  Cadiz.  The  Catedral 
Nueva  is  a  modern  structure  commenced  in  1722  and 
finished  in  1838  by  the  bishop  whose  statue  faces  the 
rather  imposing  west  fagade.  Built  of  limestone  and 
Jerez  sandstone,  it  is  white — ^^dazzling  white,  and  rich 
ochre  brown.  There  is  very  little  of  interest  in  the 
interior.  The  silleria  del  coro  (choir  stalls)  were  given 
by  Queen  Isabel,  and  came  originally  from  a  suppressed 
Carthusian  Convent  near  Seville.  The  exterior  can 
claim  a  certain  grandeur,  especially  when  seen  from  the. 

[J] 


CATHEDRAL   CITIES   OF   SPAIN 

sea.  The  drum  of  the  cimborio  with  the  great  yellow 
dome  above,  and  the  towers  of  the  west  fagade  give  it 
from  a  distance  somewhat  the  appearance  of  a  mosque. 

The  Catedral  Vieja,  built  in  the  thirteenth  century, 
was  originally  Gothic,  but  being  almost  entirely  de- 
stroyed during  Lord  Essex's  siege  in  1596,  was  rebuilt  in 
its  present  unpretentious  Renaissance  form. 

Cadiz  possesses  an  Academia  de  Bellas  Artes  where 
Zurbaran,  Murillo  and  Alonso  Cano  are  represented  by 
second-rate  paintings.  To  the  suppressed  convent  of  San 
Francisco  is  attached  the  melancholy  interest  of  Mu- 
rillo's  fatal  fall  from  the  scaffolding  while  at  work  on 
the  Marriage  of  St.  Catherine.  The  picture  was  fin- 
ished by  his  apt  pupil  Meneses  Osorio.  Another  work 
by  the  master,  a  San  Francisco,  quite  in  his  best  style 
also  hangs  here. 

The  churches  of  Cadiz  contain  nothing  to  attract  one, 
indeed  if  it  were  not  for  the  fine  setting  of  the  city  sur- 
rounded by  water,  and  the  semi-eastern  atmosphere  that 
pervades  the  place,  there  is  but  little  to  hold  the  ordi- 
nary tourist.  The  Mercado,  or  market  place,  is  a  busy 
scene  and  full  of  colour;  the  Fish  Market,  too,  abounds 
in  varieties  of  finny  inhabitants  of  the  deep  and  com- 
pares favourably  in  this  respect  with  that  of  Bergen  in 
far-away  Norway.  The  sole  attraction  in  this  City  of  the 
Past — in  fact,  I  might  say  in  the  Past  of  Spain  as  far  as 

[6] 


>    J  >       ) 


■>     5   1  S' 


J   >       >     > 


5 


CADIZ 

it  concerns  Cadiz — lies  on  the  stretch  of  water  into  which 
the  rivers  Guadalete  and  San  Pedro  empty  themselves. 
From  the  very  earliest  day  down  to  the  time  when 
Columbus  sailed  on  his  voyage  which  altered  the  face  of 
the  then  known  globe,  and  so  on  to  our  day,  it  is  in  the 
Bahia  de  Cadiz  that  her  history  has  been  written. 


[9] 


SEVILLE 

'EVILLE,  the  "Sephela"  of  the  Phoenicians, 
"Hispalis"  of  the  Romans,  and  "Ishbilyah" 
of  the  Moors,  is  by  far  the  largest  and  most 
interesting  city  of  Southern  Spain.  In  Visi- 
gothic  times  Seville  was  the  capital  of  the  Silingi  until 
Leovigild  moved  his  court  to  Toledo.  It  was  captured 
by  Julius  Caesar  in  45  B.  C,  but  during  the  Roman  occu- 
pation was  overshadowed  by  Italica,  the  birthplace  of 
the  Emperors  Trajan,  Adrian,  and  Theodosius,  and  the 
greatest  of  Rome's  cities  in  Hispania.  This  once  mag- 
nificent place  is  now  a  desolate  ruin,  plundered  of  its 
glories  and  the  haunt  of  gipsies. 

Under  the  Moors,  who  ruled  it  for  five  hundred  and 
thirty-six  years,  Seville  was  second  only  to  Cordova,  to 
which  city  it  became  subject  when  Abdurrhaman  estab- 
lished the  Western  Kalifate  there  in  the  year  756. 

San  Ferdinand,  King  of  Leon  and  Castile,  pushed  his 
conquests  far  south  and  Seville  succumbed  to  the  force 
of  his  arms  in  1248. 

[10] 


SEVILLE 

Seville  is  the  most  fascinating  city  in  Spain.  It  is  still 
Moorish  in  a  way.  Its  houses  are  built  on  the  Eastern 
plan  with  patios,  their  roofs  are  flat  and  many  have  that 
charming  accessory,  the  miradore.  Its  streets  are  narrow 
and  winding,  pushed  out  from  a  common  centre  with  no 
particular  plan.  It  is  Andalusian  and  behind  the  times. 
Triana,  the  gipsy  suburb,  is  full  of  interest.  The  Cathe- 
dral, though  of  late  and  therefore  not  particularly  good 
Gothic,  is,  on  account  of  its  great  size,  the  most  impres- 
sive in  the  whole  country.  The  Alcazar,  once  more  a 
royal  residence,  vies  with  Granada's  Alhambra  in  beautjt; 
and  as  a  mercantile  port,  sixty  miles  from  the  estuary, 
Seville  ranks  second  to  none  in  Southern  Spain. 

The  Cathedral  stands  third  in  point  of  size  if  the 
ground  space  is  alone  considered,  after  St.  Peter's  at 
Rome  and  the  Mesquita  at  Cordova.  The  proportions 
of  the  lofty  nave,  one  hundred  feet  in  height,  are  so  good 
that  it  appears  really  much  higher.  The  columns  of  the 
double  aisles  break  up  the  two  hundred  and  sixty  feet 
of  its  width  and  add  much  to  the  solemn  dignity  of  the 
vast  interior,  enhanced  greatly  by  the  height  of  the  vault- 
ing above  the  spectator.  Standing  anywhere  in  the 
Cathedral  I  felt  that  there  was  a  roof  above  my  head, 
but  it  seemed  lost  in  space.  And  this  is  the  great  char- 
acteristic of  Seville's  Cathedral,  /.  e.,  space. 

The  coro  is  railed  off  from  the  crossing  by  a  simple 


CATHEDRAL   CITIES   OF   SPAIN 

iron-gilt  reja.  The  silleria,  by  Sanchez,  Dancart,  and 
Guillier,  are  very  fine  and  took  seventy  years  to  execute. 
Between  the  coro  and  Capilla  Mayor,  in  Holy  Week  the 
great  bronze  candlestick,  twenty-five  feet  high,  a  fine 
specimen  of  sixteenth  century  work,  is  placed  alight. 
When  the  Miserere  is  chanted  during  service,  twelve  of 
its  thirteen  candles  are  put  out,  one  by  one,  indicating  the 
desertion  of  Christ  by  his  apostles.  The  thirteenth  left 
burning  symbolises  the  Virgin,  faithful  to  the  end.  From 
this  single  light  all  the  other  candles  in  the  Cathedral  are 
lit. 

The  reja  of  the  Capilla  Mayor  is  a  grand  example  of 
an  iron-gilt  screen,  and  with  those  to  the  north  and  south, 
is  due  to  the  talent  of  the  Dominican,  Francisco  de 
Salamanca. 

The  fine  Gothic  retablo  of  the  High  Altar  surpasses 
all  others  in  Spain  in  size  and  elaboration  of  detail.  It 
was  designed  by  Dancart  and  many  artists  were  em- 
ployed it  its  execution.  When  the  sun  finds  his  way 
through  the  magnificent  coloured  glass  of  the  windows 
between  noon  and  three  o'clock,  and  glints  across  it,  few 
"interior"  subjects  surpass  the  beautiful  effect  on  this 
fine  piece  of  work. 

In  front  of  the  High  Altar  at  the  feast  of  Corpus 
Christi  and  on  three  other  occasions,  the  Seises's  dance 
takes  place.     This  strange  ceremony  is  performed  by 

[12] 


SEVILLE 

chorister  boys  who  dance  a  sort  of  minuet  with  castanets. 
Their  costume  is  of  the  time  of  Philip  IIL,  /.  e.,  1630, 
and  they  wear  plumed  hats.  Of  the  numerous  chapels 
the  most  interesting  is  the  Capilla  Real.  It  possesses  a 
staff  of  clergy  all  to  itself.  Begun  in  15 14  by  Martin 
de  Gainza,  it  was  finished  fifty  years  later.  Over  the 
High  Altar  is  the  almost  life-size  figure  of  the  Virgin  de 
los  Reyes,  given  by  St.  Louis  of  France  to  San  Ferdi- 
nand. Its  hair  is  of  spun  gold  and  its  numerous  vest- 
ments are  marvellous  examples  of  early  embroidery.  The 
throne  on  which  the  Virgin  is  seated  is  a  thirteenth  cen- 
tury piece  of  silver  work,  with  the  arms  of  Castile  and 
Leon,  San  Ferdinand's  two  kingdoms.  Before  it  lies  the 
King  himself  in  a  silver  shrine.  Three  times  a  year,  in 
May,  August  and  November,  a  great  military  Mass  takes 
place  before  this  royal  shrine,  when  the  garrison  of  Se- 
ville marches  through  the  chapel  and  colours  are  lowered 
in  front  of  the  altar.  In  the  vault  beneath  are  the  coffins 
of  Pedro  the  Cruel  and  Maria  Padilla,  his  mistress,  the 
only  living  being  who  was  humanly  treated  by  this 
scourge  of  Spain.    Their  three  sons  rest  close  to  them. 

On  the  north  and  south  sides  of  this  remarkable  chapel, 
within  arched  recesses,  are  the  sarcophagi  of  Beatrice 
of  Swabia  and  Alfonso  the  Learned.  They  are  covered 
with  cloth  of  gold  emblazoned  with  coats-of-arms.  A 
crown  and  sceptre  rests  on  the  cushion  which  lies  on 

[IS] 


CATHEDRAL   CITIES   OF   SPAIN 

each  tomb.     In  the  dim  light,  high  above  and  beyond 
mortal  reach,  rest  these  two — it  is  very  impressive. 

Each  of  the  remaining  twenty-nine  chapels  contains 
something  of  interest.  In  the  Capilla  de  Santiago  is  a 
beautiful  painted  window  of  the  conversion  of  St.  Paul. 
The  retablo  in  the  Capilla  de  San  Pedro  contains  pic- 
tures by  Zurbaran.  In  the  north  transept  in  a  small 
chapel  is  a  good  Virgin  and  Child  by  Alonso  Cano;  in 
the  south  is  the  Altar  de  la  Gamba,  over  which  hangs  the 
celebrated  La  Generacion  of  Louis  de  Vargas,  known  as 
La  Gamba  from  the  well-drawn  leg  of  Adam.  On  the 
other  side  of  this  transept  is  the  Altar  de  la  Santa  Cruz 
and  between  these  two  altars  is  the  monument  to  Chris- 
topher Columbus.  Erected  in  Havana,  it  was  brought 
to  Spain  after  the  late  war  and  put  up  here. 

Murillo's  work  outshines  all  others'  in  the  Cathedral. 
The  grand  San  Antonio  de  Padua  in  the  second  chapel 
west  of  the  north  aisle,  is  difficult  to  see.  The  window 
which  lights  it  is  covered  by  a  curtain,  which,  however, 
the  silver  key  will  pull  aside.  Over  the  Altar  of  Nuestra 
Senora  del  Consuelo  is  a  beautiful  Guardian  Angel 
from  the  same  brush.  Close  by  is  another,  Santa  Doro- 
tea,  a  very  choice  little  picture.  In  the  Sacristy  are 
two  more,  S.S.  Isidore  and  Leander.  In  the  Sala  Capi- 
tular a  Conception  and  a  Mater  Dolorosa  in  the  small 
sacristy  attached  to  the  Capilla  Real  complete  the  list. 

[i6] 


1      5 
J     5 


3      3     1 


SEVILLE. 
/n    the  Cathedral. 


SEVILLE 

Besides  these  fine  pictures  there  are  others  which  one 
can  include  in  the  same  category  by  Cano,  Zurbaran, 
Morales,  Vargas,  Pedro  Campana  and  the  Flemish 
painter  Sturm,  a  veritable  gallery!  And  when  I  went 
into  the  Treasury  and  saw  the  priceless  relics  which  be- 
long to  Seville's  Cathedral,  priceless  in  value  and  in- 
terest, and  priceless  from  my  own  art  point  of  view, 
*'  Surely,"  thought  I,  "  not  only  is  it  a  picture  gallery,  it 
is  a  museum  as  well." 

The  original  mosque  of  Abu  Yusuf  Yakub  was  used 
as  a  Cathedral  until  1401,  when  it  was  pulled  down. 
The  present  building,  which  took  its  place,  being  fin- 
ished in  1506.  The  dome  of  this  collapsed  five  years 
later  and  was  re-erected  by  Juan  Gil  de  Hontanon. 
Earthquake  shocks  and  "jerry-building"  were  respon- 
sible for  a  second  collapse  in  the  August  of  1888.  The 
restoration  has  since  been  completed  in  a  most  satisfac- 
tory manner — let  us  hope  it  will  last. 

The  exterior  of  the  Cathedral  is  a  very  irregular  mass 
of  towers,  domes,  pinnacles  and  flying  buttresses,  which 
give  no  clue  to  the  almost  over-powering  solemnity  within 
the  walls.  Three  doorways  occupy  the  west  facade, 
which  is  of  modern  construction,  and  there  are  three 
also  on  the  north  side  of  the  Cathedral,  one  of  which 
opens  into  the  Segrario,  another  into  the  Patio  de  los 
Naranjos  and  the  third  into  the  arcade  of  the  same  patio. 

[19] 


CATHEDRAL   CITIES   OF   SPAIN 

This  last  retains  the  horse-shoe  arch  of  the  old  mosque. 
In  the  porch  hangs  the  stuffed  crocodile  which  was  sent 
by  the  Sultan  of  Egypt  to  Alfonso  el  Sabio  with  a  re- 
quest for  the  hand  of  his  daughter.  On  the  south  is  one 
huge  door  seldom  opened.  On  the  east  there  are  two 
more,  that  of  La  Puerta  de  los  Palos  being  under  the 
shadow  of  the  great  Giralda  Tower. 

This  magnificent  relic  of  the  Moslem's  rule  rears  its 
height  far  above  everything  else  in  Seville.  Erected  at 
the  close  of  the  twelfth  century  by  order  of  Abu  Yusuf 
Yakub,  it  belongs  to  the  second  and  best  period  of  Moor- 
ish architecture. 

On  its  summit  at  the  four  corners  rested  four  brazen 
balls  of  enormous  size  overthrown  by  one  of  the  nu- 
merous earthquakes  which  have  shaken  Seville  in  days 
gone  by.  The  belfry  above  the  Moorish  portion  of  the 
tower,  which  ends  where  the  solid  walls  stop,  was  put 
up  in  1568,  and  has  a  second  rectangular  stage  of  smaller 
dimensions  above.  Both  these  are  in  keeping  with  the 
Moorish  work  below  and  in  no  way  detract  from  its 
beauty.  On  top  of  the  small  cupola  which  caps  the 
whole  is  the  world-famed  figure  of  Faith.  Cast  in 
bronze,  with  the  banner  of  Constantine  spread  out  to 
the  winds  of  heaven,  this,  the  Giraldilla,  or  weather- 
cock, moves  to  the  slightest  breeze.  It  is  thirteen  feet 
high,  and  weighs  one  and  a  quarter  tons.     Over  three 

[20] 


■*  1      >      1 


■t       1         1   1  1  1     ■> 


:>',.    '  ',' 


SKVILLE. 

The  Givaldu   Tower. 


SEVILLE 

hundred  feet  above  the  ground,  the  wonder  is — how  did 
it  get  there?  and  how  has  it  preserved  its  equipose  these 
last  three  hundred  years? 

It  is  difficult  to  find  a  point  from  which  one  can  see 
the  Giralda  Tower,  in  fact  the  only  street  from  which 
it  is  visible  from  base  to  summit  is  the  one  in  which  I 
made  my  sketch.  Even  this  view  does  not  really  con- 
vey its  marvellous  elegance  and  beauty. 

Next  to  the  Cathedral  the  Alcazar  is  the  most  famous 
building  in  Seville.  It  is  now  a  royal  residence  in  the 
early  part  of  the  year,  and  when  the  King  and  Queen 
are  there,  no  stranger  under  any  pretext  whatever  is 
admitted. 

Its  courtyards  and  gardens  are  its  glory.  The  scent 
of  orange  blossom  perfumes  the  air,  the  fountains  splash 
and  play,  all  is  still  within  these  fascinating  courts  save 
the  tinkle  of  the  water  and  cooing  of  doves.  Of  its 
orange  trees,  one  was  pointed  out  to  me  which  Pedro  the 
Cruel  planted!  and  many  others  are  known  to  be  over 
two  hundred  years  old. 

Of  all  its  courts,  the  Patio  de  las  Doncellas  is  the  most 
perfect.  Fifty-two  marble  columns  support  the  closed 
gallery  and  rooms  above,  and  the  walls  of  the  arcade  are 
rich  with  glazed  tiles. 

Of  all  its  chambers,  the  Hall  of  Ambassadors  is  the 
finest  and  is  certainly  the  architectural  gem  of  the  Al- 

[23] 


CATHEDRAL   CITIES   OF   SPAIN 

cazar.  Its  dome  is  a  marvel  of  Media  Naranja  form, 
and  the  frieze  of  window-shaped  niches  but  adds  to  its 
beauty. 

Very  little  remains  of  the  first  Alcazar,  which,  by-the- 
way,  is  a  derivation  of  Al-Kasr  or  house  of  Caesar,  and 
the  present  building  as  it  now  stands  was  due  to  Pedro 
the  Cruel,  Henry  II.,  Charles  V.  and  Philip  V.  The 
first  named  employed  Moorish  workmen  from  Granada, 
who  emulated,  under  his  directions,  the  newly  finished 
Palace  of  the  Alhambra.  Many  a  treacherous  deed  has 
taken  place  within  these  walls,  and  none  more  loathsome 
than  those  credited  to  Pedro  the  Cruel.  However,  one 
thing  can  be  put  to  his  credit  and  that  is  this  fairy  Palace^ 
this  flower  from  the  East,  by  the  possession  of  which 
Seville  is  the  gainer. 

To  the  east  of  the  Alcazar  is  the  old  Jewish  quarter, 
the  most  puzzling  in  plan,  if  plan  it  has,  and  the  oldest 
part  of  Seville. 

The  balconies  of  the  houses  opposite  one  another  al- 
most touch,  there  certainly,  in  some  cases,  would  be  no 
difficulty  in  getting  across  the  street  by  using  them  as 
steps,  and  if  a  laden  donkey  essayed  the  passage  below 
I  doubt  if  he  could  get  through.  Poking  about  in  these 
narrow  alley-ways  one  day,  I  fell  into  conversation  with 
a  guardia  municipal  who  entertained  me  greatly  with 
his  own  version  of  Seville's  history,  which  ended,  as  he 

[24] 


>  ,    .     >   1  1       > 

>  1    .      >   '    1    > 

>  »      1       ■»    1         >      J 


SEVILLE. 

/i!   //(6'  Alcazav. 


SEVILLE 

melodramatically  pointed  down  the  lane  in  which  we 
were  standing — "  And  here,  senor,  one  man  with  a  sword 
could  keep  an  army  at  bay,  and" — this  in  confidence, 
whispered — "  I  should  not  like  to  be  the  first  man  of 
the  army"! 

In  almost  every  quarter  of  the  city  fine  old  houses  are 
to  be  found  amidst  most  squalid  and  dirty  surroundings. 
You  may  wander  down  some  mean  calle,  where  children 
in  dozens  are  playing  on  the  uneven  pavement,  their 
mothers  sit  about  in  the  doorways  shouting  to  one  an- 
other across  the  street.  Suddenly  a  wall,  windowless  save 
for  a  row  of  small  openings  under  the  roof,  is  met.  A 
huge  portal,  above  which  is  a  sculptured  coat-of-arms, 
with  some  old  knight's  helmet  betokening  a  noble  owner, 
is  let  into  this,  look  inside,  as  you  pass  by — behind  the 
iron  grille  is  a  deliciously  cool  patio,  full  of  palms  and 
shrubs.  A  Moorish  arcade  runs  round  supporting  the 
glazed  galleries  of  the  first  floor.  A  man  in  livery  sits 
in  a  rocking  chair  dosing  with  the  eternal  cigarette  be- 
tween his  lips.  Beyond  the  first  patio  you  can  see  an- 
other, a  bigger  one  which  the  sun  is  lighting  it  up.  The 
life  in  this  house  is  as  different  to  the  life  of  its  next  door 
neighbours  as  Park  Lane  is  to  Shoreditch.  One  of  these 
great  houses — owned  by  the  Duke  of  Medinaceli — the 
Casa  del  Pilatos,  has  a  large  Moorish  court,  very  similar 
to  those  of  the  Alcazar.     They  will  tell  you  in  Seville, 

[27] 


CATHEDRAL   CITIES   OF   SPAIN 

that  Pilate  was  a  Spaniard,  a  lawyer,  and  failing  to  win 
the  case  for  Christ,  left  the  Holy  Land,  where  he  had 
a  good  practice,  and  returned  to  Spain  to  assist  Ferdi- 
nand to  drive  out  the  Moors.  "Yes,  sefior,  he  settled 
here  and  built  this  fine  house  about  five  hundred  years 
ago." 

As  a  rule,  in  the  better-class  houses  a  porch  opens 
into  the  street.  On  the  inner  side  of  this  there  is  always 
a  strong  iron  gate  with  a  grille  around  to  prevent  any 
entry.  These  gates  served  a  purpose  in  the  days  of  the 
Inquisition,  when  none  knew  if  the  Holy  Office  might 
not  suddenly  descend  upon  and  raid  the  house.  Seville 
suffered  terribly  from  the  horrors  of  those  dark  times; 
even  now,  when  a  ring  at  the  bell  calls  forth — "Who  is 
there?"  from  the  servant  in  the  balcony  above,  before  she 
pulls  the  handle  which  connects  with  the  catch  that  re- 
leases the  lock  of  the  gate,  the  answer  often  is — "People 
of  Peace."  Some  houses  have  interior  walls  six  feet 
thick  and  more,  which  being  hollow  contain  hiding 
places  with  access  from  the  roof  by  a  rope. 

In  the  heat  of  summer — and  Seville  is  called  the  "  fry- 
ing-pan of  Europe" — when  the  temperature  in  the  shade 
of  the  streets  rises  to  over  115°  Fahr.  family  life  is  spent 
below  in  the  cool  patio.  A  real  house  moving  takes 
place  as  the  heat  comes  on.  The  upper  rooms,  which 
are  always  inhabited  in  the  winter,  the  kitchen,  servants' 

[28] 


SEVILLE 

rooms  and  all  are  deserted,  every  one  migrates  with  the- 
furniture  to  the  lower  floors.  The  upper  windows  are 
closed,  shutters  put  up  and  a  great  awning  drawn  across 
the  top  of  the  courtyard.  Despite  the  great  heat,  sum- 
mer is  a  perfectly  healthy  period.  No  one  dreams  of 
going  out  in  the  daytime,  and  all  Seville  begins  life 
towards  five  o'clock  in  the  afternoon ;  2  A.  M.  to  4  A.  M. 
being  the  time  to  retire  for  the  night  I  Seville  can  be 
very  gay,  and  Sevtllanos  worship  the  Torrero  or  bull- 
fighter (Toreador  is  a  word  unknown  to  the  Spaniard). 
If  a  favourite  Torrero,  who  has  done  well  in  the  ring 
during  the  afternoon,  enters  the  dining-room  of  a  hotel 
or  goes  into  a  cafe  it  is  not  unusual  for  every  one  at  table 
to  rise  and  salute  him. 

There  is  another  life  in  Seville,  the  life  of  the  roofs. 
In  early  spring  before  the  great  heat  comes,  and  in  au- 
tumn before  the  cold  winds  arrive,  the  life  of  the  roofs, 
fascinated  me.  Up  on  the  roofs  in  the  dry  atmosphere, 
Seville's  washing  hangs  out  to  air,  and  up  on  the  roofs, 
in  the  warm  sun,  with  the  hum  of  the  streets  far  below, 
you  will  hear  the  quaint  song — so  Arabian  in  character 
— of  the  lavandera,  as  she  pegs  out  the  damp  linen  in 
rows.  In  the  evening  the  click-a-click-click  of  the  cas- 
tanets and  the  sound  of  the  guitar,  broken  by  merry 
laughter,  tells  one  that  perhaps  the  Sevillano  has  fath- 
omed the  mystery  of  knowing  how  best  to  live.     And  as. 

[29] 


CATHEDRAL   CITIES   OF    SPAIN 

sundown  approaches  what  lovely  colour  effects  creep 
o'er  this  city  in  the  air!  The  light  below  fades  from 
housetop  and  miradore,  pinnacle  and  dome,  until  the 
last  rays  of  the  departing  majesty  touch  the  vane  of  the 
Giralda,  that  superb  symbol  of  Faith, — and  all  is  steely 
grey. 

Over  the  Guadalquiver  lies  Triana,  and  as  I  crossed 
the  bridge  for  the  first  time  the  remains  of  an  old  tower 
were  pointed  out  to  me  on  the  river  bank.  The  subter- 
ranean passage  through  which  the  victims  of  the  Inquisi- 
tion found  their  exit  to  another  world  in  the  dark  waters 
below  is  exposed  to  view,  the  walls  having  fallen  away. 
It  was  therefore  with  something  akin  to  relief  I  reached 
the  gipsy  quarter  in  this  quaint,  dirty  suburb  and  feasted 
my  eyes  on  the  colours  worn  by  its  dark-skinned  people. 
The  potteries  of  Triana  are  world-renowed,  and  still  bear 
traces  in  their  output  of  Moorish  tradition  and  design. 

Seville's  quays  are  the  busiest  part  of  the  city,  and  the 
constant  dredging  of  the  river  permits  of  vessels  of  four 
thousand  tons  making  this  a  port  of  call. 

■  Next  to  the  Prado  in  Madrid,  the  Museum  of  Seville 
is  more  full  of  interest  than  any  other.  It  is  here  that 
Murillo  is  seen  at  his  best.  The  building  was  at  one  time 
the  Convento  de  la  Mercede  founded  by  San  Ferdinand. 
The  exhibits  in  the  archsological  portion  nearly  all  come 
from  that  ruin,  the  wonderful  city  of  Italica.  Among 
the  best  of  Murillo's  work  are  St.   Thomas  de  Villa 

[30] 


SEVILLE 

Nueva  Distributing  Alms,  Saint  Felix  of  Cantalicio  and 
a  Saint  Anthony  of  Padua.  A  large  collection  of  Zur- 
baran's  works  also  hangs  in  the  gallery,  but  his  big  com- 
position of  the  Apotheosis  of  Saint  Anthony  is  not  so 
good  as  his  single  figure  subjects,  and  none  of  these  ap- 
proach in  quality  the  fine  Monk  in  the  possession  of  the 
Eankes  family  at  Kingston  Lacy  in  Dorset. 

Seville  is  the  home  of  bull-fights.  The  first  ever 
recorded  took  place  in  1405,  in  the  Plaza  del  Triunfo, 
in  honour  of  the  birth  of  a  son  to  Henry  IL  of  Castile. 
The  world  of  Fashion  takes  the  air  every  evening  in  the 
beautiful  Paseo  de  las  Delicias.  The  humbler  members 
of  society  throng  the  walks  watching  their  wealthier  sis- 
ters drive  down  its  fine  avenues — this  daily  drive  being 
the  only  exercise  the  ladies  of  Seville  permit  themselves 
to  take. 

It  is  a  pretty  sight  to  watch  the  carriages  coming  home 
as  twilight  begins,  and  the  last  rays  of  the  sun  light  up 
the  Torre  del  Oro.  Built  by  the  Almohades  this  Moor- 
ish octagon  stood  at  the  river  extremity  of  Moslem  Se- 
ville. The  golden  yellow  of  the  stone  no  doubt  gave  it 
the  name  of  "  Borju-d-dahab,"  "  the  tower  of  gold," 
which  has  stuck  to  it  under  Christian  rule.  But  "  how 
are  the  mighty  fallen,"  and  one  of  the  glories  of  the 
Moor  debased.  It  is  now  an  office  used  by  clerks  of  the 
Port,  and  Instead  of  the  dignified  tread  of  the  sentinel, 
resounds  to  the  scribble  of  pens. 

[31] 


CORDOVA 

IT  is  hard  to  realise  that  the  Cordova  of  to-day 
was,  under  the  rule  of  the  Moor,  a  city  famous 
all  the  world  over  and  second  only  to  the  great 
Damascus.  Long  before  the  Moor's  beneficent 
advent,  in  the  far-off  days  of  Carthage,  Cordova  was 
known  as  "  the  gem  of  the  south."  Its  position  on  the 
mighty  Guadalquiver,  backed  by  mountains  on  the  north, 
always  seems  to  have  attracted  the  best  of  those  who  con- 
quered. In  the  time  of  the  Romans,  Marcellus  peopled 
it  with  poor  Patricians  from  Rome,  and  Cordova  became 
Colonia  Patricia,  the  capital  of  Hispania  Ulteria.  But 
it  was  left  to  the  Infidel  to  make  it  what  is  now  so  diffi- 
cult to  realise — the  first  city  in  Western  Europe. 
The  zenith  of  its  fame  was  reached  during  the  tenth 
century,  when  the  mighty  Abderrhaman  III.,  ruler  of 
the  Omayyades  reigned,  and  did  not  begin  to  decrease 
until  the  death  of  Almanzor  at  the  beginning  of  the  next 
century.  If  we  are  to  believe  the  historian  Almakkari, 
Cordova  contained  at  one  time  a  million  inhabitants,  for 

[32] 


CORDOBA. 

Fountain   in   the  Court  of  Oranges. 


CORDOVA 

whose  worship  were  provided  three  hundred  Mosques, 
and  for  whose  ablutions  nine  hundred  baths  were  no 
more  than  was  necessary.  (The  arch-destroyer  of  all 
things  Infidel,  Philip  II.,  demolished  these.)  It  was 
the  centre  of  art  and  literature,  students  from  all  parts 
flocked  hither,  its  wealth  increased  and  its  fame  spread, 
riches  and  their  concomitant  luxury  made  it  the  most 
famous  place  in  Western  Europe.  Nothing  could  ex- 
ceed the  grace  and  elegance  of  its  life,  the  courtly  man- 
ners of  its  people,  nor  the  magnificence  of  its  buildings. 

From  the  years  711  to  1295,  when  Ferdinand  drove 
him  out,  the  cultivated  Moslem  reigned  in  this  his  second 
Mecca.  And  now? — under  Christian  rule  it  has  dwin- 
dled down  to  what  one  finds  it  to-day — a  quiet,  partly 
ruinous  town.  Of  all  its  great  buildings  nothing  remains 
to  remind  one  of  the  past  but  the  ruins  of  the  Alcazar — 
now  a  prison,  a  portion  of  its  walls,  and  the  much  muti- 
lated Mesquita — the  Cathedral. 

I  could  not  at  first  entry  grasp  the  size  of  this  the 
second  largest  church  of  any  in  existence.  Coming  sud- 
denly into  the  cool  shade  of  its  many  pillared  avenues, 
I  felt  as  if  transplanted  into  the  silent  depths  of  a  great 
forest.  In  every  direction  I  looked  the  trunks  of  huge 
trees  apparently  rose  upwards  in  ordered  array.  The 
light  here  and  there  filtered  through  gaps  on  to  the  red- 
tiled  floor,  which  only  made  the  deception  greater  by 

[35] 


CATHEDRAL   CITIES   OF   SPAIN 

its  resemblance  to  the  needles  of  a  pine  wood  or  the  dead 
leaves  of  autumn.  Then  the  organ  boomed  out  a  note 
and  the  deep  bass  of  a  priest  in  the  coro  shattered  the 
illusion.  ' 

The  first  Mosque  built  on  the  site  of  Leovigild's  Visi- 
gothic  Cathedral,  occupied  one-fifth  of  the  present  Mes- 
quita.  It  was  "Ceca"  or  House  of  Purification,  and  a 
pilgrimage  to  it  was  equivalent  to  a  visit  to  Mecca.  It 
contained  ten  rows  of  columns,  and  is  that  portion  which 
occupies  the  north-west  corner  ending  at  the  south-east 
extremity  where  the  present  coro  begins.  This  space 
soon  became  insufficient  for  the  population,  and  the 
Mosque  was  extended  as  far  as  the  present  Capilla  de 
Nuestra  Senora  de  Villavicosia. 

Subsequent  additions  were  made  by  different  rulers. 
The  Caliph  Al-Hakim  II.,  who  followed  Abderrahman 
III.,  expanded  its  size  by  building  southwards  as  far  as 
the  inclination  of  the  sloping  ground  would  allow.  To 
him  is  due  the  third  Mihrab,  or  Holy  of  Holies,  the 
pavement  of  which  is  worn  by  the  knees  of  the  devout 
who  went  thus  round  the  Mihrab  seven  times.  This 
Mihrab  is  the  most  beautiful  chamber  I  came  across  in 
all  Spain.  The  Byzantine  Mosaics  which  adorn  it  are 
among  the  most  superb  that  exist,  the  domed  ceiling  of 
the  recess  is  hewn  out  of  a  solid  block  of  marble,  and 
its  walls,  which  Leo  the  Emperor  of  Constantinople  sent 

[36] 


o 

'S 

o 

oa 

r<^ 

)— 1 

o 

(u 

o 

s 

CORDOVA 

a  Greek  artist  and  skilled  workmen  to  put  up,  are  chis- 
elled in  marble  arabesques  and  moulded  in  stucco.  The 
entrance  archway  to  this  gem  of  the  East,  an  intricate 
and  well-proportioned  feature,  rests  on  two  green  and 
two  dark  coloured  columns.  Close  by  is  the  private  door 
of  the  Sultan  which  led  from  the  Alcazar  to  the  Mesquita. 

The  last  addition  of  all  nearly  doubled  the  size  of  the 
Mosque.  Building  to  the  south  was  impracticable  on 
account  of  the  fall  in  the  land  towards  the  river.  East- 
wards was  the  only  way  out  of  the  difficulty  unless  the 
beautiful  Court  of  the  Oranges  was  to  be  enclosed.  East- 
wards, therefore,  did  Almanzor  extend  his  building,  and 
the  whole  space  in  this  direction  from  the  transepts  or 
Crucero  of  the  present  church,  in  a  line  north  and  south, 
was  due  to  his  initiative. 

The  Mesquita  at  one  time  contained  twelve  hundred 
and  ninety  columns.  Sixty-eight  were  removed  to  make 
room  for  the  Coro,  Crucero  and  Capilla  Major,  which 
is  the  portion  reserved  for  service  now.  In  the  coro, 
the  extremely  fine  silleria,  are  some  of  the  best  in  Spain. 
The  Lectern  is  very  good  Flemish  work  in  brass  of  the 
sixteenth  century.  The  choir  books  are  beautifully  illu- 
minated missals,  especially  those  of  the  "  Crucifixion " 
and  the  "  Calling  of  the  Apostles."  All  this  does  not, 
however,  compensate  for  the  partial  destruction  of  the 
Mosque.     So  thought  the  people  of  Cordova,  who  pe- 

[39] 


CATHEDRAL   CITIES   OF   SPAIN 

titioned  Charles  V.  in  vain  against  the  alterations  which 
have  destroyed  the  harmony  of  the  wonderful  building. 
When  passing  through  the  city  at  a  later  date  and  view- 
ing the  mischief  that  had  been  done,  the  King  rebuked 
the  chapter  thus :  "  You  have  built  here  what  you,  or  any 
one,  might  have  built  an5rwhere  else;  but  you  have  de- 
stroyed what  was  unique  in  the  world." 

Eight  hundred  and  fifty  columns  now  remain  out  of 
the  above  number.  The  odd  four  hundred  and  forty 
occupied  the  place  where  now  stand  the  rows  of  orange 
trees  in  the  courtyard,  one  time  covered  in,  which  is 
known  as  the  Patio  de  los  Naranjos,  or  Court  of  the 
Oranges.  The  fountain  used  for  the  ablutions  of  the 
Holy  still  runs  with  a  crystal  stream  of  pure  water, 
and  is  to-day  the  meeting  place  of  all  the  gossips  in 
Cordova. 

Of  the  five  gates  to  this  enchanting  court,  that  of  the 
Puerta  del  Perdon,  over  which  rises  the  great  Tower,  el 
Campanario,  is  the  most  important.  It  is  only  opened 
on  state  occasions.  Erected  in  1377  by  Henry  II.  it  is 
an  imitation  of  Moorish  design.  The  immense  doors 
are  plated  with  copper  arabesques. 

The  exterior  of  the  Mesquita  is  still  Moorish  despite 
the  great  church  which  has  been  thrust  through  the  centre 
and  rises  high  above  the  flat  roof  of  the  remainder  of  the 
Mosque.     A  massive  terraced  wall  with  flame-shaped 

[40] 


?    1   1        > 


CORDOVA 

battlements  encircles  the  whole,  the  view  of  which  from 
the  bridge  over  the  river  is  more  Eastern  than  anything 
else  I  saw  in  Spain. 

This  fine  bridge,  erected  by  the  Infidel  on  Roman 
foundations,  is  approached  at  the  city  end  by  a  Doric 
gateway,  built  by  Herrera  in  the  reign  of  Philip  II.,  that 
Philip  who  married  Mary  of  England.  It  consists  of 
sixteen  arches  and  is  guarded  at  its  southern  extremity 
by  the  Calahorra  or  Moorish  Tower,  round  which  the 
road  passes  instead  of  through  a  gateway,  thus  giving 
additional  security  to  the  defence. 

The  mills  of  the  Moslem's  day  still  work,  both  above 
and  below  bridge,  and  the  patient  angler  sits  in  the  sun 
with  his  bamboo  rod,  while  the  wheels  of  these  relics 
groan  and  hum  as  they  did  in  days  gone  by.  More  cun- 
ning is  Izaak  Walton's  disciple  who  fishes  from  the  bridge 
itself.  A  dozen  rods  with  heavily  weighted  lines,  for  the 
Guadalquiver  runs  swift  beneath  the  arches,  and  a  small 
bell  attached  to  the  end  of  each  rod  is  his  armament. 
And  when  the  unwary  fish  impales  himself  on  the  hook 
and  the  bell  gives  warning  of  a  bite,  the  excitement  is 
great.  Greater  still  when  a  peal  begins  as  three  or  four 
rods  bend! 

The  beggars  of  Cordova  were  the  most  importunate 
that  fate  sent  across  my  path  in  the  whole  of  Spain.  I 
found  it  impossible  to  sit  in  the  streets  where  I  would 

[43] 


CATHEDRAL   CITIES   OF   SPAIN 

gladly  have  planted  my  easel,  and  it  was  only  by  standing 
with  my  back  to  the  wall  that  I  was  able  to  make  my 
sketch  of  the  Campanario.  These  streets  are  tortuous 
and  narrow,  and  the  houses,  built  on  the  Moorish  plan 
with  a  beautiful  patio  inside,  are  low.  At  many  a  corner 
I  came  across  marble  columns,  some  with  Roman  inscrip- 
tions, probably  from  Italica,  placed  against  the  house 
to  prevent  undue  wear  and  tear.  In  the  narrowest  ways 
I  noticed  how  the  load  borne  by  the  patient  ass  had 
scooped  out  a  regular  track  on  either  wall  about  three  or 
four  feet  from  the  ground.  Wherever  I  went,  to  the 
oldest  quarters  of  the  town  in  the  south-east  corner  or  the 
modern  in  the  north-west,  I  could  never  rid  myself  of 
the  feeling  that  Cordova  was  a  city  of  the  past.  Her 
life  is  more  Eastern  than  that  of  Seville,  and  her  people 
bear  more  traces  of  the  Moor.  Decay  and  ruin  are  ap- 
parent at  every  turn,  but  how  picturesque  it  all  is! — the 
rags,  the  squallor,  and  the  ruin.  How  I  anathematised 
those  beggars  with  no  legs,  or  minus  arms,  when  I  tried 
to  begin  a  street  sketch!  The  patience  of  Job  would  not 
have  helped  me,  it  was  the  loathsomeness  of  these  crip- 
ples that  drove  me  away.  Begging  is  prohibited  in  Se- 
ville and  Madrid  and  in  one  or  two  other  towns,  would 
that  it  were  so  in  Cordova. 

Away  up  in  the  southern  slopes  of  the  Sierra  de  Cor- 
doba stands  the  Convento  de  San  Jeronimo,  now  a  lunatic 

[44] 


COKDOP.A. 
The  Campcwario   Tower. 


CORDOVA 

asylum.  Built  out  of  the  ruins  of  the  once  magnificent 
Medinat  az-zahra,  the  Palace  that  Abderrhaman  III. 
erected,  its  situation  is  perfect.  In  the  old  days  this 
palace  surpassed  all  others  in  the  wonders  of  its  art  and 
luxury.  The  plough  still  turns  up  ornaments  of  rare 
workmanship,  but  like  so  many  things  in  Spain  its  glories 
have  departed. 

Yes,  Cordova  has  seen  its  grandest  days,  the  birthplace 
of  Seneca,  Lucan,  Averroes,  Juan  de  Mena — the  Span- 
ish Chaucer — Morales,  and  many  another  who  became 
famous,  can  now  boast  at  best  with  regard  to  human 
celebrities  as  being  the  Government  establishment  for 
breaking  in  horses  for  the  cavalry.  Certainly  the  men 
employed  in  this  are  fine  dashing  specimens  of  humanity, 
and  they  wear  a  very  picturesque  dress.  But  Cordova 
like  her  world-famed  sons,  sleeps — and  who  can  say  that 
it  would  be  better  now  if  her  sleep  were  broken? 


[47] 


GRANADA 

PREAD  out  on  the  edge  of  a  fertile  plain  at 
the  base  of  the  Sierra  Nevada,  Granada  basks 
in  the  sun;  and  though  the  wind  blows  cold 
with  an  icy  nip  from  the  snows  of  the  highest 
peaks  in  Spain,  I  cannot  but  think  that  this,  the  last 
stronghold  of  the  Moors,  is  the  most  ideal  situation  of 
any  place  I  have  been  in. 

The  city  is  divided  into  three  distinct  districts,  each 
with  its  own  peculiar  characteristics.  The  Albaicin, 
Antequeruela,  and  Alhambra.  The  first  named  covers 
the  low  ground  and  the  hills  on  the  bank  of  the  Darro, 
a  gold-bearing  stream  which  rushes  below  the  Alhambra 
hill  on  the  north.  The  second  occupies  the  lower  por- 
tion of  the  city  which  slopes  on  to  the  plain,  and  the  Al- 
hambra rises  above  both,  a  well-nigh  demolished  citadel, 
brooding  over  past  glories  of  the  civilised  Moor,  the 
most  fascinating  spot  in  all  Spain. 

The  Albaicin  district  is  practically  the  rebuilt  Moor- 
ish town,  where  the  aristocrats  of  Seville  and  Cordova 

[48] 


'5 


GRANADA 

settled  when  driven  out  of  those  cities  by  St.  Ferdi- 
nand in  the  thirteenth  century.  Many  traces  remain  to 
remind  one  of  their  occupation  in  the  tortuous  streets 
which  wind  up  the  steep  hill  sides,  and  the  wall  which 
they  built  for  greater  security  is  still  the  boundary  of 
the  city  on  the  north.  The  Albaicin  is  a  grand  place  to 
wander  in  and  lose  oneself  hunting  for  relics  and  little 
bits  of  architecture.  At  every  turn  of  the  intricate  maze 
I  came  across  something  of  interest,  either  Moorish  or 
Mediaeval.  A  mean  looking  house  with  a  fine  coat-of- 
arms  over  the  door  had  evidently  been  built  by  a  knight 
with  the  collector's  craze.  He  had  specialised  in  mill- 
stones; a  round  dozen  or  more  were  utilised  in  the  lower 
portions  of  the  wall  and  looked  strange  with  stones  set 
in  the  plaster  between  them.  A  delicious  patio,  now 
given  over  to  pigs  and  fowls,  with  a  broken-down  foun- 
tain in  the  centre  of  its  ruined  arcaded  court,  recalled 
the  luxuries  of  the  Infidel.  The  terraced  gardens  stand- 
ing behind  and  above  many  a  blank  wall  carried  me 
back  to  those  days  of  old  when  the  opulence  of  the  East 
pervaded  every  dwelling  in  this  Mayfair  of  Granada. 
Of  all  these  the  Casa  del  Chapiz,  though  degraded  into 
a  low-class  dwelling,  is  with  its  beautiful  garden  the  most 
perfect  remnant  of  the  exotic  Moor. 

In    the    Carrera    de    Darro,    just   opposite    the    spot 
where    once    a    handsome    Moorish    arch    spanned   the 

[49] 


CATHEDRAL   CITIES  OF  SPAIN 

stream,  stands  a  house  wherein  is  a  Moorish  bath  sur- 
rounded by  horseshoe  arcades.  The  bath  is  i8  ft.  square, 
and  in  the  vaulted  recess  beyond  is  one  of  smaller  dimen- 
sions commanding  more  privacy  for  the  cleanly  Eastern 
whose  day  was  never  complete  without  many  ablutions. 

Not  far  away  up  the  hill  side,  in  cave  dwellings 
amidst  an  almost  impenetrable  thicket  of  prickly  pears, 
live  the  gitanos.  I  fear  they  now  exist  on  the  charity 
of  the  tourist,  and  make  a  peseta  or  two  by  fortune-telling 
or  in  the  exercise  of  a  more  reprehensible  cleverness, 
a  light-fingered  dexterity  which  is  generally  only  dis- 
covered by  those  who  "must  go  to  the  gipsy  quarter" 
on  their  return  to  the  hotel.  These  gipsies  no  longer 
wander  in  the  summer  months  and  lie  up  for  the  winter 
as  they  did  of  yore.  They  are  not  the  Romanies  of  old 
times,  and  a  nomadic  life  holds  no  charm  for  them  now. 
They  make  enough  out  of  the  tourist  to  eke  out  a  lazy 
existence  throughout  the  year,  and  are  fast  losing  all  the 
character  of  a  wandering  tribe  and  the  lively  splendour 
of  their  race. 

Higher  up,  the  banks  of  the  Darro  are  lined  with 
more  cave  dwellings,  a  great  many  of  which,  to  judge 
by  their  present  inaccessibility,  are  undoubtedly  of  pre- 
historic origin.  Those  that  I  took  to  be  of  later  date 
have  a  sort  of  level  platform  in  front  of  the  entrance, 
from  which  the  approach  of  a  stranger  could  be  seen 

[50] 


»    1   1        » 


« 


GRANADA. 

Exterior  of  the  Cathedral. 


GRANADA 

and  due  warning  taken  by  those  inside  of  any  hostile 
intent. 

The  Antequeruela  quarter,  called  thus  from  the  rem- 
nant of  Moorish  refugees  who  driven  from  Antequera 
found  here  a  home,  extends  from  the  base  of  Monte 
Mauro  to  some  distance  below  the  confluence  of  the 
Darro  and  Genii,  Granada's  other  river.  It  is  the  most 
modern  quarter  and  busiest  part  of  the  city. 

The  life  of  an  ordinary  Spanish  town  passes  in  front 
of  me  as  I  sit  in  the  sun  sharing  a  seat  with  an  old  man 
wrapped  closely  in  a  capa.  It  is  April.  We  are  in  the 
Alameda,  a  broad  promenade  which  leads  to  the  gardens 
of  the  Paseo  de  Salon  and  de  la  Bamba.  On  either  side 
are  many  coloured  houses  with  green  shutters.  They 
are  very  French,  and  to  this  day  I  try  to  recall  the  town 
in  France  where  I  had  seen  them  before.  How  often 
this  happens  when  wc  travel  abroad  I — a  face,  a  scent,  a 
sound.  Memory  racks  the  tortuous  channels  of  half- 
forgotten  things  stored  away  somewhere  in  the  brain, 
and  for  days  with  an  irritating  restlessness  we  wander 
fruitlessly  amid  the  paths  of  long  ago. 

I  turned  to  my  companion  on  the  seat,  he  looked 
chilled  despite  the  warmth  of  an  April  sun.  "Tell  me, 
sir,  to  whom  does  all  the  fine  country  of  the  Vega  be- 
long?" "Absent  landlords,  senor;  they  take  their  rents 
and  they  live  in  Madrid,  and  the  poor  man  has  no  one 

[S3] 


CATHEDRAL   CITIES  OF   SPAIN 

to  care  for  him."  "But  surely  he  begs  and  does  not 
wish  to  work  or  to  be  cared  for.  The  beggars  in 
Granada  are  more  numerous  than  in  any  place  I  know." 
"  That  is  true,  senor,"  and  with  a  shake  he  relapsed  into 
silence,  drawing  his  capa  closer  around  him.  The  turn 
the  conversation  had  taken  was  not  worth  pursuing. 

New  buildings  are  superseding  the  old  in  Ante- 
queruela,  and  poverty  and  squallor  pushed  further  out 
of  the  sight  of  El  Caballero,  his  Highness  the  tourist, 
^sthetically  we  appreciate  the  picturesque  side  of  pov- 
erty, the  tumble-down  houses,  the  rags,  the  graceful  at- 
titudes of  the  patient  poor  for  ever  shifting  in  the  patches 
of  sunlight  as  the  great  life-giver  moves  round.  Dinner 
will  be  ready  for  us  at  7  o'clock  in  the  hotel,  there  would 
be  no  call  to  leave  home  if  every  town  we  came  to  was 
clean  and  its  people  prosperous.  "  But  what  about  Los 
Pobres,  the  beggars?"  you  ask.  "Are  they  really  de- 
serving of  charity,  or  only  lazy  scoundrels?"  I  cannot 
answer  you.  I  can  only  tell  you  that  I  have  never  seen 
such  terrible  emaciated  bundles  of  rags  as  those  I  saw 
in  Granada. 

In  Seville,  though  it  is  forbidden  to  beg,  it  was  the 
one-eyed  that  predominated;  in  Cordova  he  of  no  legs, 
who  having  marked  down  his  prey,  displayed  great 
agility  as  he  scuttled  across  the  street  with  the  help  of 
little  wooden  hand-rests;  but  here  not  only  were  both 

[54] 


GRANADA 

combined,  but  various  horrors  of  crippled  and  disfigured 
humanity  with  open  sores  and  loathsome  disease  thrust 
themselves  before  me  wherever  I  went.  It  was  disgust- 
ing— but  oh  I  how  picturesque!  If  only,  my  good  Pobres, 
you  would  not  come  so  close  to  me  I 

They  say  Spain  is  the  one  unspoilt  country  in  Europe. 
Personally  I  think  she  is  the  one  country  that  wants  re- 
generating. Her  girls  are  women  at  sixteen,  old  at 
thirty,  and  aged  ten  years  later.  Her  men  take  life  as  it 
comes  with  very  little  initiative  to  better  themselves. 
Very  few  display  any  energy.  Their  chief  thoughts  are 
woman,  and  how  to  pass  the  day  at  ease.  Luckily  for 
the  country,  at  the  age  when  good  food  and  clean  living 
helps  to  make  men,  her  youth  is  invigorated  by  army 
service.  True,  it  is  not  popular.  In  the  late  war  they 
died  like  flies  through  fever  and  ill-feeding,  and  many 
were  the  sad  tales  I  heard  of  Jose  and  Pedro  returning; 
from  the  front  with  health  ruined  for  life.  It  was  a  sad 
blow  to  Spain,  that  war.  Her  navy  demolished  and  her 
colonies  lost.  It  may  be  the  regeneration  of  the  nation. 
Her  well-wishers  hope  so,  but  it  is  a  difficult  thing  to 
change  the  leopard's  spots.  The  beggar  being  hungry 
begs,  and  well-nigh  starves,  his  children  follow  his  ex- 
ample and  probably  his  great  grandchildren  will  be  in 
the  same  line  of  business  a  hundred  years  hence — Quien. 
sabe?  who  knows. 

[55] 


CATHEDRAL  CITIES  OF   SPAIN 

I  still  sit  in  the  sun  rolling  cigarettes;  it  is  extraordi- 
nary how  soon  the  custom  becomes  a  habit,  and  think  of 
all  this.  A  string  of  donkeys  passes  with  baskets  stuffed 
tight  with  half  a  dozen  large  long-funneled  water  cans. 
They  have  come  in  with  fresh  drinking  water  from  the 
spring  up  the  Darro  under  the  Alhambra  hill,  and  a  little 
later  the  water-sellers  will  be  offering  glasses  of  the  re- 
freshingly cool  contents  of  their  cans.  Granada  is  a  city 
running  with  water,  but  the  pollution  from  the  drains 
and  the  never-ending  ranks  of  women  on  their  knees 
wrinsing  clothes  in  its  two  streams,  into  which,  by  the 
way,  all  dead  refuse  is  thrown,  makes  that  which  is  fit 
to  drink  a  purchasable  quantity  only. 

I  watch  the  peasants  from  the  Vega,  who  come  in  with 
empty  panniers  slung  across  their  donkeys,  scraping  up 
the  dirt  of  the  streets,  which  they  take  away  to  fertilise 
their  cottage  gardens.  Herds  of  goats  go  by  muzzled 
until  milking  is  over.  They  make  for  that  bit  of  blank 
wall  opposite,  and  stand  licking  the  saline  moisture 
which  oozes  from  the  plaster  in  the  shade.  The  goats 
of  Granada  are  reckoned  the  finest  in  Spain,  and,  as  is 
the  custom  throughout  Andalusia,  graze  in  the  early 
spring  on  the  tender  shoots  of  the  young  corn.  This  not 
only  keeps  them  in  food,  but  improves  the  quality  of  that 
part  of  the  crop  which  reaches  maturity.  I  could  sit  all 
day  here  if  only  the  sun  stood  still.    My  companion  re- 

[S6] 


>    1  »       •* 


>  1      >      >    »        ^      ' 


1    »      1 
1    >     J  ' 

»    1  1       > 


<     5 


c    •    c  c  r    ci 


GRANADA 

moved  himself  naif  an  hour  ago  and  it  is  getting  chilly  in 
the  shade,  so  up  and  on  to  the  Cathedral. 

What  a  huge  Renaissance  pile  it  is.  Built  on  the 
Gothic  plans  of  Diego  di  Siloe  it  is  undoubtedly  the  most 
imposing  edifice  of  this  style  in  Spain.  Fergusson  con- 
siders its  plan  makes  it  one  of  the  finest  churches  in 
Europe.  The  western  fagade  was  erected  by  Alonso 
Cano  and  Jose  Granados,  and  does  not  follow  Siloe's 
original  design.  The  name  of  the  sculptor-painter  is  writ 
in  big  letters  throughout  the  building.  To  him  are  due 
the  colossal  heads  of  Adam  and  Eve,  let  into  recesses 
above  the  High  Altar,  and  the  seven  pictures  of  the 
Annunciation^  Conception,  Presentation  in  the  Temple, 
Visitation,  Purification  and  Assumption  in  the  Capilla 
Mayor.  The  two  very  fine  colossal  figures,  bronze  gilt, 
which  stand  above  the  over-elaborated  pulpits;  a  couple 
of  beautiful  miniatures  on  copper  in  the  Capilla  de  la 
Trinidad;  a  fine  Christ  bearing  the  Cross  and  a  head  of 
S.  Pedro  over  the  altar  of  Jesus  Nazareno,  are  also  by 
Cano.  Many  other  examples  from  his  carving  tools  and 
brush  are  to  be  found  in  the  Cathedral,  of  which  he  was 
made  a  "  Racione"  or  minor  Canon,  after  fleeing  from 
Valladolid  when  accused  of  the  murder  of  his  wife.  The 
little  room  he  used  as  a  workshop  in  the  Great  Tower 
may  still  be  visited  and  his  remains  lie  tranquilly  beneath 
the  floor  of  the  coro. 

[59] 


CATHEDRAL   CITIES   OF   SPAIN 

In  the  capilla  de  la  Antigua  there  is  that  curious  little 
image  which,  found  in  a  cave,  served  Ferdinand  as  a 
battle  banner;  and  also  contemporary  (?)  portraits  of  the 
King  and  his  Queen. 

To  me  the  thing  of  surpassing  interest,  which  ought 
to  be  the  most  revered  building  in  all  Spain,  was  the 
Capilla  Real  and  its  contents.  The  reja,  which  separates 
the  choir  from  the  rest  of  the  chapel,  is  a  magnificent 
piece  of  work,  coloured  and  gilded,  by  Bartolome.  As 
the  verger  unlocked  the  great  gate  he  drew  my  attention 
to  the  box  containing  the  lock  with  its  three  beautifully 
wrought  little  iron  figures  and  intricate  pattern.  We 
passed  in,  the  gate  swung  to  with  a  click,  the  lock  was  as 
good  as  if  it  had  but  recently  been  placed  there.  These 
rejas  throughout  the  country  are  all  in  splendid  condi- 
tion. A  dry  climate  no  doubt  preserves  them,  as  it  has 
preserved  everything  else,  and  I  very  seldom  detected 
rust  on  any  iron  work.  The  humidity  of  the  winter 
atmosphere  is  insufficient,  I  suppose,  to  set  up  much 
decay  in  metal,  and  certainly  the  only  decay  in  Spain  is 
where  inferior  material  has  been  used  in  construction, 
or  the  negligence  of  man  has  left  things  to  rot. 

With  the  gate  locked  behind  me  I  stood  in  front  of  the 
two  marble  monuments,  the  one  of  the  recumbent  figures 
of  Ferdinand  and  Isabella,  the  other  of  Philip  and  Juana 
la  Loca — crazy  Jane.     Beyond  rose  the  steps  up  to  the 

[60] 


GRANADA 

High  Altar,  close  at  my  side  those — a  short  flight — that 
led  to  the  crypt  where  the  coffins  of  these  four  rest.  I 
felt  surrounded  by  the  Great  of  this  Earth,  and  certainly 
a  feeling  of  awe  took  hold  of  me  as  their  deeds  passed 
through  my  mind  and  I  realised  that  here  lay  the  re- 
mains of  those  who  had  turned  out  the  Moor  bidden 
God-speed  to  Columbus,  and  instituted  the  Inquisition. 

They  are  wonderful  tombs  these  two.  Ferdinand  wears 
the  order  of  St.  George,  the  ribbon  of  the  Garter,  Isabella 
that  of  the  Cross  of  Santiago,  Philip  and  his  wife  the 
Insignia  of  the  Order  of  the  Golden  Fleece.  Four  doc- 
tors of  the  church  occupy  the  corners  of  the  first  tomb, 
with  the  twelve  Apostles  at  the  sides.  The  other  has 
figures  of  S.S.  Michael,  Andrew,  and  John  the  Baptist, 
and  the  Evangelist.  Both  tombs  are  elaborately  carved, 
the  medallions  in  alto-relievo  being  of  very  delicate  work. 
Next  to  that  magnificent  tomb  in  the  Cartuja  de  Mira- 
flores  at  Burgos,  these  are  the  finest  monuments  in  all 
Spain. 

Above  the  High  Altar  is  a  florid  Retablo  with  not 
much  artistic  merit.  My  interest  was  entirely  centred  in 
the  two  portrait  figures  of  Ferdinand  and  Isabella.  They 
each  kneel  at  a  Prie-Dieu  facing  one  another  on  either 
side  of  the  altar.  The  King  to  the  north,  the  Queen  to 
the  south.  Below  them  in  double  sections  are  four 
wooden  panels  in  bas-relief,  to  which  I  turned  after  a 

[6i] 


CATHEDRAL   CITIES   OF   SPAIN 

long  examination  of  these  authentic  and  contemporary 
portraits.  These  panels  are  unsurpassed  as  records  of  the 
costume  of  the  day  and  a  faithful  representation  of  their 
subject.  On  the  left  is  the  mournful  figure  of  Boabdil 
giving  up  the  key  of  the  Alhambra  to  Cardinal  Men- 
doza,  who  seated  on  his  mule  between  the  King  and 
Queen,  alone  wears  gloves.  Surrounding  them  are 
knights,  courtiers  and  the  victorious  soldiery.  In  the 
background  are  the  towers  of  the  Alhambra.  To  the  right 
is  seen  the  wholesale  conversion  by  Baptism  of  the  Infi- 
del, the  principal  figures  being  monks  who  are  very  busy 
over  their  work,  inducing  the  reluctant  Moor  to  enter 
an  alien  Faith. 

There  is  something  very  impressive  about  these  panels, 
they  render  so  well  and  in  such  a  naive  manner  the  his- 
tory they  record.  The  surrender  of  the  Moor  after  750 
years'  rule,  the  end  of  his  dreams,  the  final  triumph  of 
the  King  and  Queen,  who  devoted  the  first  portion  of 
their  reign  to  driving  him  out  of  the  country,  and  the 
great  church  receiving  the  token  of  submission  at  the  end 
of  the  last  act,  they  are  all  here. — The  verger  touched 
my  arm,  my  reverie  of  those  stirring  times  was  broken; 
he  had  other  things  to  show  and  noon  was  fast  approach- 
ing. Pointing  to  three  iron  plates  let  into  the  floor  of 
the  chapel,  he  inquired  if  I  would  like  to  see  the  spot 
where  rest  the  coffins  of  these  great  makers  of  history. 

[62] 


)      )    )  ■ 

'      I   1 '   '    •     >    ' 


11J3),      3-.)  ' 


a 


a 


-a; 


GRANADA 

Certainly;  I  could  not  leave  the  Cathedral  without  a. 
silent  homage  to  those  who  placed  Spain  first  among  the 
nations.  He  lifted  the  plates,  and  lighting  a  small  taper 
which  he  thrust  into  the  end  of  a  long  pole,  disappeared 
down  the  steps,  with  a  warning  to  mind  my  head  for  the 
entry  was  very  low.  I  followed,  stooping.  At  the  bottom 
of  the  steps  was  a  small  opening  heavily  barred.  The 
verger  pushed  his  lighted  taper  and  pole  through  the 
bars,  and  beckoned  to  me  to  look.  I  peered  into  the 
dark  chamber,  there  resting  on  a  marble  slab  were  the 
rough  iron-bound  coffins  of  the  "Catholic  Kings."  The 
taper  flickered  and  cast  long  shadows  in  the  gloom,  dis- 
covering the  coffins  of  Philip  and  Juana.  It  was  all  very 
eerie,  a  fitting  climax  in  its  simplicity  to  the  magnificent 
monuments  above  and  to  the  history  writ  on  the  walls  of 
the  Capilla  Real.    I  shall  never  forget  it. 

In  the  sacristy  I  was  shown  the  identical  banner  which 
floated  from  the  Torre  de  la  Vela  when  the  Alhambra 
had  surrendered.  Isabella  herself  had  worked  this  for 
the  very  object  to  which  it  was  put.  Next  to  it  hangs 
Ferdinand's  sword,  with  a  remarkably  small  handle.  I 
had  thought,  from  the  kneeling  effigy  in  the  Capilla 
Real,  that  both  he  and  Isabella  must  have  been  "small- 
made"  and  this  verified  my  guess.  Many  other  personal 
relics  of  the  two  were  shown  me.  The  Queen's  own  mis- 
sal, a  beautiful  embroidered  chasuble  from  her  indus- 

[65] 


CATHEDRAL   CITIES   OF   SPAIN 

trious  fingers,  an  exquisitely  enamelled  viril,  &c.  Time 
was  short,  my  verger  wanted  his  dinner,  and  I  had  seen 
enough  for  one  morning.  He  let  me  out  through  the 
closed  door  into  the  Placeta  de  la  Lonja  and  in  a  sort  of 
dream  I  carried  away  all  I  had  seen. 

The  next  morning  I  returned  to  the  Placeta  and  stood 
in  the  doorway  of  the  old  Royal  Palace,  now  used  as  a 
drapery  warehouse,  and  commenced  the  drawing  figured 
in  the  illustration.  The  rich  late  Gothic  ornament  of  the 
exterior  of  the  Capilla  Real  is  well  balanced  by  the 
Lonja  which  backs  on  to  the  sacristy.  Here  Pradas's 
work  has  been  much  mutilated  and  the  lower  stage  of  the 
arcading  built  up.  The  twisted  columns  of  the  gallery 
and  its  original  wooden  roof  remain  to  tell  us  what  this 
fine  fagade  once  was. 

There  is  a  great  deal  of  interest  in  this  huge  Cathedral, 
which  to  the  tourist  is  quite  overshadowed  by  the  Al- 
hambra.  In  the  north-west  corner  of  the  Segrario,  which 
adjoins  the  building  on  the  south,  is  the  Capilla  de  Pul- 
gar.  Herman  Perez  del  Pulgar  was  a  knight  serving 
under  Ferdinand's  banner.  Filled  with  holy  zeal,  he  en- 
tered Granada  one  stormy  night  in  December,  1490,  by 
the  Darro  conduit,  and  making  his  way  to  the  Mosque 
which  then  stood  where  the  Segrario  now  is,  pinned  a 
scroll  bearing  the  words  "Ave  Maria"  to  its  principal 
door  with  his  dagger.    This  daring  deed  was  not  discov- 

[66] 


GRANADA 

ered  until  the  next  morning,  by  which  time  the  intrepid 
knight  was  safe  back  in  camp.  His  courage  was  re- 
warded by  a  seat  in  the  coro  of  the  Cathdral,  and  at  his 
death  his  body  was  interred  in  the  chapel  which  bears 
his  name. 

Nearly  all  the  churches  of  Granada  occupy  the  sites 
of  Mosques.  Santa  Anna,  like  San  Nicolas,  has  a  most 
beautiful  wooden  roof.  San  Juan  de  los  Reyes  contains 
portraits  of  Ferdinand  and  Isabella;  its  tower  is  the  min- 
aret of  what  was  once  a  Mosque. 

The  Cathedral  itself  is  so  crowded  in  by  other  build- 
ings, that  no  comprehensive  view  of  the  fabric  is  possible. 
Unfortunately  this  is  the  case,  with  one  or  two  notable 
exceptions,  throughout  the  country.  Its  fine  proportions 
are  thus  lost,  and  it  is  only  the  interior,  with  its  great 
length  and  breadth,  its  lofty  arches  and  fine  Corinthian 
pilasters,  that  serves  to  dignify  this  House  of  God. 

Taking  a  morning  off,  I  walked  out  to  the  Cartuja 
Convent.  The  Gran  Capitan,  Gonzalo  de  Cordoba,  at 
one  time  granted  an  estate  to  the  Carthusians  and  on  it 
they  erected  the  convent  to  which  I  turned  my  steps.  The 
Order  about  this  time  was  immensely  wealthy  and  they 
spent  money  with  reckless  lavishness  on  the  interior  of 
their  church.  Mother-of-pearl,  tortoiseshell,  ebony  and 
cedar-wood  entered  largely  into  their  decorations,  as  well 
as  ivory  and  silver.     But  perhaps  the  marbles  in  the 

[67] 


CATHEDRAL   CITIES   OF   SPAIN 

church  are  the  most  remarkable  part  of  their  scheme. 
These  were  chosen  for  the  wonderful  patterns  of  the 
sections,  and  with  a  little  stretch  of  the  imagination  I 
could  trace  well-composed  landscapes,  human  and  ani- 
mal forms  in  a  great  many  of  the  slabs.  The  overdone 
chirrugueresque  work,  to  which  add  these  fantastic  wall 
decorations,  makes  this  interior  positively  scream.  It  is 
nothing  more  nor  less  than  a  vulgar  display  of  wealth. 
The  cloisters  of  the  convent  also  attest  the  bad  taste  of 
the  Carthusians,  they  contain  a  series  of  pictures  which 
represent  the  most  repugnant  and  bloodthirsty  scenes  of 
persecutions  and  martyrdoms  of  the  Order. 

In  another  convent,  San  Geronimo,  was  buried  the 
Gran  Capitan.  A  slab  marks  the  spot,  but  his  poor  bones 
were  exhumed  and  carried  ofif  to  Madrid  in  1868  to  form 
the  nucleus  of  a  Spanish  Pantheon.  Needless  to  say,  like 
so  many  other  great  ideas  in  Spain,  nothing  further  was 
done,  and  Gonzalo's  remains  still  await  a  last  resting 
place. 

One  more  fact  before  I  reach  the  Alhambra.  In  the 
church. of  San  Juan  de  Dios  you  may  see  the  cage  in 
which  the  founder,  Juan  de  Robles,  was  shut  up  as  a 
lunatic.  What  do  you  think  his  lunacy  was?  Having  the 
infirm  and  the  poor  always  before  him,  this  tender-hearted 
man  went  about  preaching  the  necessity  of  hospitals  to 
alleviate  their  distress.    Aye,  he  was  a  hundred  years  and 

[68] 


5    1  ■»  3 
3     5 


,  '  3  '     3     '3      3         3      3 


GRANADA. 

Gencralifc. 


GRANADA 

more  before  his  time,  so  they  shut  him  up  in  a  cage  and 
there  let  him  rot  and  die.  Those  that  came  after  in  more 
enlightened  days  valued  the  good  man's  crusade  at  its 
proper  price,  and  he  was  eventually  canonised,  and  his 
supposed  remains  now  rest  in  an  urna. 

Up  a  toilsome  approach,  splashing  through  the  mud, 
I  drove  on  the  night  I  reached  Granada.  As  the  horses 
slowed  up,  I  put  my  head  out  of  the  carriage  window; 
we  were  passing  under  an  archway  and  I  knew  that  at 
last  one  of  the  dreams  of  my  life  was  realised.  I  was  in 
the  Alhambra.  I  became  conscious  of  rows  and  rows 
of  tall  trees  swaying  in  the  wind.  I  smelt  the  delicious 
scent  of  damp  earth,  and  could  just  distinguish,  as  the 
carriage  crawled  up  the  steep  ascent,  in  the  lulls  of  the 
storm,  the  sound  of  running  water.  It  was  fairyland, 
it  was  peace.  After  that  long,  tedious  journey  and  the 
glare  of  the  electric-lit  streets  I  had  just  passed  through, 
I  sank  back  on  the  cushions  and  felt  my  reward  had 
come. 

How  is  it  possible  to  describe  the  Alhambra?  It  has 
been  done  so  often  and  so  well.  Every  one  has  read 
Washington  Irving,  and  most  of  us  know  Victor  Hugo's 
eulogy.  I  had  better  begin  at  the  beginning,  which  is 
the  gateway  erected  by  Charles  V.  under  which  I  passed 
with  such  a  happy  consciousness.  Further  up  the  hill, 
through  which  only  pedestrians  can  go,  is  the  Gate  of 

[71] 


CATHEDRAL   CITIES   OF   SPAIN 

Judgment,  the  first  gateway  into  the  Moorish  fortress. 
Above  it  is  the  Torre  de  Justicia  erected  by  Yusuf  I.  in 
1348.  On  the  external  keystone  is  cut  a  hand,  on  the 
inner  a  key.  Much  controversy  rages  round  these  two 
signs  and  I  leave  it  to  others  to  find  a  solution.  In  old 
days  the  Kadi  sat  in  this  gateway  dispensing  justice.  The 
massive  doors  still  turn  on  their  vertical  pivots,  the  spear 
rests  of  the  Moorish  guard  are  still  attached  to  the  wall, 
and  you  must  enter,  as  the  Moors  did,  by  the  three  turns 
in  the  dark  passage  beyond  the  gate.  A  narrow  lane  leads 
to  the  Plaza  de  las  Algibes,  under  the  level  of  which  are 
the  old  Moorish  cisterns.  To  the  right  is  the  Torre  del 
Vino,  and  on  the  left  the  Acazaba. 

Come  with  me  up  the  short  flight  of  steps  into  the 
little  strip  of  garden.  Let  us  lean  over  the  wall  and 
look  out  on  to  the  Vega.  Is  there  anywhere  so  grand  and 
varied  an  outline  of  plain  and  mountain?  Do  you  won- 
der at  the  tears  that  suffused  the  eyes  of  Boabdil  as  he 
turned  for  a  last  look  at  this  incomparable  spot?  The 
brown  roofs  of  Granada  lie  at  our  feet.  Far  away 
through  the  levels  of  the  green  plain,  the  Vega,  I  can  see 
the  winding  of  many  silver  streams.  Beyond  those  rugged 
peaks  to  the  south  lies  the  Alpujarras  district,  the  last 
abiding  place  of  the  conquered  Moor.  Further  on  the 
mass  of  the  Sierra  Aburijara  bounds  the  horizon,  west  of 
it  is  the  town  of  Loja,  thirty  miles  away,  buried  in  the 

[72] 


GRANADA 

dip  towards  Antequerra.  To  the  north  is  Mount  Para- 
panda,  the  barometer  of  the  Vega,  always  covered  with 
mist  when  rain  is  at  hand.  Nearer  in  is  the  Sierra  de 
Elvira,  spread  out  below  which  are  the  dark  woods  of 
the  Duke  of  Wellington's  property — he  is  known  in 
Spain  as  Duque  de  Ciudad  Rodriguez.  It  is  clear  enough 
for  us  to  see  the  blue  haze  of  the  mountains  round  Jaen, 
and  the  rocky  defile  of  Mochin.  The  Torre  de  la  Vela 
shuts  out  the  rest  of  the  view.  There  is  a  bell  hanging  in 
this  tower  which  can  be  heard  as  far  away  as  Loja.  Now 
turn  and  look  behind.  Right  up  into  the  blue  sky  rise  the 
snow  peaks  of  the  Sierra  Nevada.  Mulhacen,  the  high- 
est point  in  all  Spain,  is  not  visible,  but  we  can  see  Veleta 
which  is  but  a  few  feet  lower.  The  whole  range  glistens 
in  the  afternoon  sun,  but  it  is  the  evening  hour  that  brings 
such  wonderful  changes  of  colour  over  these  great  snow- 
fields,  and,  after  the  sun  is  down,  such  a  pale  mother-of- 
pearl  grey  silhouetted  against  the  purple  sky. 

The  entrance  into  what  we  call  the  Alhambra  is  hidden 
away  behind  the  unfinished  Palace  of  Charles  V.  The 
low  door  admits  us  directly  in  the  Patio  de  los  Arrayanes, 
or  court  of  the  Myrtles.  Running  north  and  south  it 
gets  more  sun  than  any  other  court  of  the  Alhambra. 
What  a  revelation  it  is!  In  the  centre  is  an  oblong  tank 
full  of  golden  carp.  The  neatly  kept  myrtle  hedges  en- 
circle this,  reflected  in  the  clear  water  they  add  refresh- 

[73] 


CATHEDRAL   CITIES   OF   SPAIN 

ing  charm  to  a  first  impression  of  the  Moorish  Palace. 
On  the  north  rises  the  Torre  de  Comares,  the  approach 
to  which  is  through  a  beautifully  proportioned  chamber, 
the  roof  of  which  was  unfortunately  destroyed  by  fire  in 
1890.  The  whole  of  the  ground-floor  of  this  tower  is 
known  as  the  Hall  of  the  Ambassadors.  The  monarch's 
throne  occupied  a  space  opposite  the  entrance  and  it  was 
here  that  the  last  meeting  to  consider  the  surrender  was 
held  by  Boabdil.  The  elaborate  domed  roof  of  this  mag- 
nificent chamber  is  of  larch  wood,  but  the  semi-darkness 
prevents  one  realising  to  the  full  extent  its  beauties.  From 
the  windows,  which  almost  form  small  rooms,  so  thick 
are  the  walls  of  the  Tower  of  Comares,  fine  views  over 
the  roofs  of  the  city  and  the  Albaicin  hill  are  obtained. 

The  Court  of  the  Lions,  so  called  from  the  central 
fountain  upheld  by  marble  representations  of  the  kingly 
beast,  is  surrounded  by  a  beautiful  arcade.  At  either  end 
this  is  thrown  out,  forming  a  couple  of  extremely  elegant 
pavilions.  Fairy  columns  support  a  massive  roof,  the 
woodwork  of  which  is  carved  with  the  pomegranate  of 
Granada.  Intricate  fret-work  is  arranged  to  break  the 
monotony  of  strong  sunlight  on  a  flat  surface.  Ara- 
besques and  inscriptions,  stamped  with  an  iron  mould  on 
the  wet  clay,  repeat  themselves  all  around  the  frieze. 
Orange  trees  at  one  time  adorned  the  court  and  cast 
gracious  shade  on  its  surface.     The  fountain  threw  up 

[74] 


GRANADA. 

Calle  del  Darro. 


GRANADA 

jets  of  splashing  water,  the  musical  sound  harmonising 
with  the  wonderful  arrangement  of  light  and  shade.  I 
tried  to  picture  all  this  as  I  sat  making  my  sketch,  but 
even  in  April,  though  hot  in  the  sun,  I  required  an  over- 
coat in  the  shadow,  and  I  must  own  that  the  ever-present 
tourist  with  his  kodak  sadly  disturbed  all  mental  attempts 
at  the  reconstruction  of  Moorish  life. 

On  the  south  side  of  the  court  is  the  hall  of  the  Aben- 
cerrages,  named  after  that  noble  family.  The  massive 
wooden  doors,  which  shut  it  ofif  from  the  arcade,  are  of 
most  beautiful  design.  The  hall  is  rectangular  and  has 
a  fine  star-shaped  stalactite  dome.  The  azulejos,  or  tiles, 
are  the  oldest  that  remain  in  the  Alhambra.  A  passage 
leads  to  what  was  once  the  Royal  Sepulchral  Chamber. 

On  the  east  side  is  the  so-called  Sala  de  la  Justicia  di- 
vided into  several  recesses  and  running  the  whole  length 
of  this  portion  of  the  court.  The  central  recess  was  used 
by  Ferdinand  and  Isabella  when  they  held  the  first  Mass 
after  the  surrender  of  the  Moors.  The  chief  interest  of 
the  Sala  I  found  to  be  in  a  study  of  the  paintings  on  the 
semi-circular  domed  roofs.  They  portray  the  Moor  of 
the  period.  The  middle  one,  that  in  the  chapel-recess, 
no  doubt  contains  portraits  of  Granada's  rulers  in  coun- 
cil. The  other  two  represent  hunting  scenes  and  deeds  of 
chivalry.  It  is  supposed  that  the  Koran  forbids  the  de- 
lineation of  any  living  thing.    The  Moor  got  over  this 

l77l      ■ 


CATHEDRAL   CITIES   OF   SPAIN 

difficulty  by  portraying  animal  life  in  as  grotesque  a 
manner  as  possible,  or  by  employing  foreign  captives  to 
do  this  for  him.  One  theory  of  the  origin  of  the  Lion 
Fountain  is  that  a  captive  Christian  carved  the  lions  and 
gave  his  best — or  his  w^orst — as  the  price  of  his  liberation. 
Personally  I  think  they  are  of  Phoenician  origin.  Ani- 
mals and  birds  in  decoration  reached  the  Moor  from 
Persia,  where  from  unknown  ages  they  had  always  been 
employed  in  this  way;  and  the  Mosil  style  of  hammered 
metal  work  is  replete  with  this  feature. 

On  the  north  side  of  the  court  lies  the  Room  of  the 
Two  Sisters,  with  others  opening  out  from  it,  which 
seems  to  point  to  the  probability  that  this  was  the  suite 
occupied  by  the  Sultana  herself.  Moorish  art  has  here 
reached  its  highest  phase.  The  honeycomb  roof  contains 
nearly  five  thousand  cells;  all  are  different,  yet  all  com- 
bine to  form  a  marvellously  symmetrical  whole.  Fancy 
ran  free  with  the  architect  who  piled  one  tiny  cell  upon 
another  and  on  these  supported  a  third.  Pendant  pyra- 
mids cluster  everywhere  and  hang  suspended  apparently 
from  nothing.  In  the  fertility  of  his  imagination  the  de- 
signer surpassed  anything  of  the  kind  that  went  before 
or  has  since  been  attempted.  Truly  the  verses  of  a  poem 
copied  on  to  the  azulejos  are  well  set.  "  Look  well  at 
my  elegance,  and  reap  the  benefit  of  a  commentary  on 
decoration.     Here  are  columns  ornamented  with  every 

[78] 


GRANADA 

perfection,  the  beauty  of  which  has  became  prover^ 
bial." 

Beyond  this  entrancing  suite  of  rooms  is  the  Miradoro 
de  Daraxa  with  three  tall  windows  overlooking  that  little 
gem  of  a  garden,  the  Patio  de  Daraxa.  It  was  here  that 
Washington  Irving  lodged  when  dreaming  away  those 
delicious  days  in  the  Alhambra. 

The  old  Council  Chamber  of  the  Moors,  the  Meshwar, 
is  reached  through  the  Patio  de  Mexuar.  Charles  V. 
turned  this  chamber  into  a  chapel,  and  the  hideous  deco- 
rations he  put  up  are  still  extant.  An  underground  pas- 
sage, which  leads  to  the  baths,  ran  from  the  patio  and 
gave  access  to  the  battlements  and  galleries  of  the  for- 
tress as  well  as  forming  a  connecting  link  between  each 
tower. 

The  baths  are  most  interesting,  but  to  me  were  per- 
vaded by  a  deadly  chill.  I  felt  sorry  for  the  guardian 
who  spends  his  days  down  in  such  damp,  icy  quarters.  A 
remark  I  made  to  him  inquiring  how  long  his  duty  kept 
him  in  so  cold  a  spot,  called  forth  so  terrible  a  fit  of 
coughing  that  I  got  no  reply.  I  was  told  afterwards 
that  he  was  only  placed  there  as  he  was  too  ill  for  other 
duty,  and  it  was  expected  he  would  not  live  much  longer! 
There  are  two  baths  of  full  size  and  one  for  children. 
The  azulejos  in  them  are  very  beautiful,  as  they  also  are 
in  the  disrobing  room  and  chamber  for  rest. 

[79] 


CATHEDRAL    CITIES   OF    SPAIN 

An  open  corridor  leads  from  the  Hall  of  the  Ambassa- 
dors to  the  Torre  del  Peinador  which  Yusuf  I.  built. 
The  small  Tocador  de  la  Reina,  or  Queen's  dressing- 
room,  with  its  quaint  frescoes,  was  modernised  by  Charles 
V.  Let  into  the  floor  is  a  marble  slab  drilled  with  holes, 
through  which  perfumes  found  their  way  from  a  room 
below  while  the  Queen  was  dressing. 

The  glamour  of  the  East  clings  to  every  corner  of  the 
Alhambra,  and  the  wonder  of  it  all  increased  as  I  began 
to  grow  familiar  with  its  courtyards  and  halls,  the  slender 
columns  of  its  arcades,  with  their  tracery  and  oft-repeated 
verses  forming  ornament  and  decoration,  and  the  well 
thought-out  balance  of  light  and  shade.  What  must  it 
all  have  been  like  when  the  sedate  Moor  glided  noise- 
lessly through  the  cool  corridors,  or  the  clang  of  arms 
resounded  through  the  now  silent  halls!  It  is  difiicult  to 
imagine.  The  inner  chambers  were  then  lined  with 
matchless  carpets  and  rugs  and  the  walls  were  covered 
with  subtly  coloured  azulejos. 

Many  are  the  changes  since  those  days  of  the  Infidel 
who  cultivated  the  art  of  living  as  it  has  never  been 
cultivated  since.  Restoration  is  judiciously  but  slowly 
going  on,  and  every  courtesy  is  shown  to  the  visitor.  A 
small  charge  might  be  levied,  however,  to  assist  the  Gov- 
ernment, even  in  a  slight  degree,  with  restoration,  and  I 
am  sure  no  one  would  grudge  paying  for  the  privilege 

[80] 


GRANADA 

of  sauntering  through  the  most  interesting  remains  of 
the  Moorish  days  of  Spain. 

The  unfinished  Palace  of  Charles  V.  occupies  a  large 
space,  to  clear  which  a  great  deal  of  the  Moorish  Palace 
was  demolished.  The  interior  is  extremely  graceful. 
The  double  arcades,  the  lower  of  which  is  Doric  and  the 
upper  Ionic,  run  round  a  circular  court  which  for  good 
proportion  it  would  be  hard  to  beat. 

On  the  Corre  de  Sol,  a  little  way  out  of  the  Alhambra 
and  situated  above  it,  is  the  Generalife.  It  belongs  to 
the  Pallavicini  family  of  Genoa,  but  on  the  death  of  the 
present  representative  becomes  the  property  of  the  Span- 
ish Government.  A  stately  cypress  avenue  leads  to  the 
entrance  doorway,  through  which  one  enters  an  oblong 
court  full  of  exotic  growth  and  even  in  April  a  blaze  of 
colour.  Through  a  tank  down  the  centre  runs  a  de- 
licious stream  of  clear  water.  At  the  further  end  of  this 
captivating  court  are  a  series  of  rooms,  one  of  which 
contains  badly  painted  portraits  of  the  Spanish  Sover- 
eigns since  the  days  of  Ferdinand  and  Isabella. 

Up  some  steps  is  another  garden  court  with  another 
tank,  shaded  by  more  cypress  tress.    One  huge  patriarch 
is  over  six  hundred  years  old,  and  it  is  supposed  that, 
under  it  Boabdil's  wife  clandestinely  met  Hamet  the 
Abencerrage. 

Space  will  not  permit  me  to  tell  of  the  many  entranc- 

[8i] 


CATHEDRAL   CITIES   OF   SPAIN 

ing  excursions  I  made  to  the  foothills  of  the  Sierra  Ne- 
vada and  up  the  two  rivers.  I  can  only  add  that  the 
valleys  disclosed  to  the  pedestrian  are  a  wealth  of  rare 
botanical  specimens,  and  if  time  permits  will  well  repay 
a  lengthened  sojourn  in  the  last  stronghold  of  the  Moors 
in  Spain. 


[82] 


'^-^'i-r?; 


■  '1 

i 


MALAGA 

'ALAGA  disputes  with  Cadiz  the  honour  of 
being  the  oldest  seaport  in  the  country.  In 
early  days  the  Phoenicians  had  a  settlement 
here,  and  in  after  times  both  the  Carthage- 
nians  and  Romans  utilised  "  Malacca"  as  their  principal 
port  on  the  Mediterranean  littoral  of  Spain.  In  571  the 
Goths  under  their  redoutable  King,  Leovigild,  wrested 
the  town  from  the  Byzantines.  Once  more  it  was  cap- 
tured, by  Tarik,  in  the  year  710  and  remained  a  Moorish 
stronghold  until  Ferdinand  took  it  after  a  long  siege 
in  1487. 

It  is  said  that  gunpowder  was  first  used  in  Spain  at 
this  siege,  when  the  "seven  sisters  of  Ximenes,"  guns 
planted  in  the  Gibralfaro,  belched  forth  fire  and  smoke. 
In  the  year  709  the  Berber  Tarif  entered  into  an  alli- 
ance with  Julian,  Governor  of  Ceuta,  who  held  that 
place  for  Witiza,  the  Gothic  King  of  Spain.  With  four 
ships  and  five  hundred  men  he  crossed  the  narrow  and 

[83] 


CATHEDRAL  CITIES  OF   SPAIN 

dangerous  straits  to  reconnoitre  the  European  coast,  hav- 
ing secretly  in  view  an  independent  kingdom  for  him- 
self on  the  Iberian  peninsula.  He  landed  at  Cape 
Tarifa. 

This  expedition  was  so  far  successful  that  in  two  years' 
time  another  Berber,  of  a  name  almost  similar,  Tarik  to 
wit,  was  sent  over  with  twelve  thousand  men  and  landed 
near  the  rock  which  received  the  name  of  Jabal-Tarik, 
or  mountain  of  Tarik,  the  present  Gibraltar. 

Witiza  in  the  meantime  died  and  was  succeeded  by 
Roderic,  who,  hearing  of  the  invasion  of  this  Moorish 
host,  hastened  south  from  Toledo  and  met  his  death  in 
the  first  decisive  battle  between  Christian  and  Infidel  on 
the  banks  of  the  Guadalete  near  Cadiz.  Tarik  then 
commenced  his  victorious  march,  which  ended  in  less 
than  three  years  with  the  subjugation  of  the  whole  coun- 
try as  far  as  the  foot  of  the  Pyrenees.  Pelayo  in  his  cave 
at  Covadonga  near  Oviedo,  alone  holding  out  with  a 
mere  remnant  against  the  all-conquering  Moor. 

If  you  ask  me,  "What  is  Malaga  to-day?"  I  can 
reply  with  truth,  "The  noisiest  town  in  Spain."  Like 
all  places  in  the  south  it  is  a  babel  of  street-cries,  only  a 
little  more  so  than  any  of  the  others.  The  seranos,  or 
night-watchmen,  disturb  one's  rest  as  they  call  out  the 
hour  of  the  night,  or  whistle  at  the  street  corners  to  their 
comrades.    A  breeze  makes  hideous  the  hours  of  dark- 

[84] 


'    J  ' , »  ?   '   ' 


MALAGA 

ness  by  the  banging  to  and  fro  of  unsecured  shutters.  The 
early  arrival  of  herds  of  goats  with  tinkling  bells  heralds 
the  dawn,  which  is  soon  followed  by  the  discordant  clat- 
ter of  all  those,  cracked  and  otherwise,  which  hang  in  the 
church  belfries.  The  noisiest  town  I  visited,  most  cer- 
tainly, but  for  all  that  a  very  enchanting  place.  In  a 
way  not  unlike  Naples,  for  the  Malagueno  is  the  Span- 
ish prototype  of  the  Neapolitan.  Lazy,  lighthearted, 
good-natured,  but  quick  to  take  affront,  he  gets  through 
the  day  doing  nothing  in  a  manner  that  won  my  sincere 
admiration.  "Why  work,  senor,  when  you  have  the 
sun?  I  do  not  know  why  the  English  travellers  are  al- 
ways in  such  a  hurry.  And  the  North  American,  he  is 
far  worse.  I  earned  two  pesetas  yesterday.  To-day  I 
have  no  wants,  I  do  not  work.  To-morrow?  Yes,  per- 
haps to-morrow  I  work,  but  to-day  I  sit  here  in  the  sun, 
I  smoke  my  cigarette,  I  am  content  to  watch  others,  that 
is  life!" — and  who  can  say  that  the  Malagueno  is  far 
wrong?    Not  I. 

Malaga's  Cathedral,  an  imposing  building  of  a  very 
mixed  Corinthian  character,  occupies  the  site  of  a  Moor- 
ish mosque  which  was  converted  into  a  church.  Of  this 
early  church  of  the  Incarnation,  the  Gothic  portal  of  the 
Segragrio  is  the  only  portion  remaining.  The  present 
edifice  was  begun  in  1538  from  the  plans  of  that  great 
architect  Diego  de  Siloe,  but  being  partially  destroyed 

[87] 


CATHEDRAL   CITIES   OF   SPAIN 

by  an  earthquake  in  1680,  was  not  completed  until  171 9. 
It  cannot  be  called  complete  even  now,  and  the  long 
period  over  which  its  construction  has  been  spread  ac- 
counts for  the  very  many  inconsistencies  in  a  building 
which  is  full  of  architectural  defects. 

The  west  fagade  is  flanked  by  two  Towers,  only  one 
of  which  has  been  finished;  this  is  drawn  out  in  three 
stages  like  the  tower  of  La  Seo  at  Saragossa,  and  has 
a  dome  with  lantern  above.  The  doors  of  the  north  and 
south  Transepts  are  also  flanked  by  towers,  but  they  do 
not  rise  beyond  the  cornice  line.  The  interior,  remind- 
ing one  of  Granada's  Cathedral,  is  seemingly  immense. 
The  proportions  are  massive  and  decidedly  good.  It  was 
in  his  proportions  that  Siloe  excelled.  The  length  of 
this  is  three  hundred  and  seventy-five  feet,  the  width  two 
hundred  and  forty,  and  the  height  one  hundred  and  thirty 
feet.  The  columns  which  support  the  heavy  roof  con- 
sist of  two  rows  of  pillars  one  above  the  other.  The 
vaulting  is  of  round  arches. 

A  picture  by  Alonso  Cano  in  the  chapel  of  Our  Lady 
of  the  Rosary,  and  one  of  a  Fir  gin  and  Child,  in  that  of 
San  Francisco,  by  Morales,  were  the  only  two  objects 
that  I  could  say  interested  me,  besides  the  magnificently 
carved  silleria  del  coro,  the  work  of  many  hands,  but 
chiefly  those  of  Pedro  de  Mena,  a  pupil  of  Cano. 

With  all  its  architectural  incongruities  it  is  an  impres- 

[88] 


]vy\  >''  '' 


»     f 

r        t 


f      <      c     f 


MALAGA 

sive  fabric,  and  rises  high  above  the  surrounding  roofs, 
like  a  great  Liner  with  a  crowd  of  smaller  boats  lying 
around  her.  So  it  struck  me  as  I  sat  on  the  quayside  of 
the  Malagueta  making  my  sketch,  sadly  interfered  with 
by  an  unpleasant  throng  of  idling  loafers. 

Beyond  Malagueta  lies  Caleta,  and  on  the  hill  above 
them  is  the  Castilla  de  Gibralfaro,  from  which  when 
the  sky  is  clear  the  African  mountains  near  Ceuta  can  be 
seen.  Below  the  Gibralfaro  and  between  it  and  the  Cathe- 
dral, lies  the  most  ancient  part  of  the  city,  the  Alcazaba, 
the  glorious  castle  and  town  of  Moorish  days.  And 
now? — like  so  many  of  Spain's  departed  glories,  it  is  not 
much  more  than  a  ruined  conglomeration  of  huts  and 
houses  of  a  low  and  very  unsanitary  order. 

At  the  other  end  of  Malaga  is  the  Mercado,  and  close 
by  is  the  old  Moorish  sea  gateway,  the  Puerta  del  Mar, 
washed  by  the  waters  of  the  blue  Mediterranean  in  their 
day,  but  at  the  present  time  well  away  from  the  sea  and 
surrounded  by  houses. 

The  everyday  market  is  held  in  the  dry  bed  of  the 
treacherous  Guadelmedina,  a  stream  which  rose  in  the 
fatal  October  of  1907  and  swept  away  all  the  bridges, 
swamping  the  lower  quarters  of  the  city.  Many  lives 
were  lost  in  this  disastrous  flood  and  many  bodies  picked 
up  by  fishing-boats  far  out  at  sea.  However,  when  I 
made  my  sketch  there  was  no  chance  of  such  a  visitation, 

[91] 


CATHEDRAL   CITIES   OF   SPAIN 

and  I  found  the  market  folk  more  polite  than  the  loafers 
on  the  quay. 

The  country  lying  at  the  back  of  the  city  and  at  the 
base  of  the  sun-baked  and  scarred  mountains  by  which  it 
is  surrounded,  produces  almost  everything  that  grows. 
From  this — the  Vega — come  grapes,  raisins,  figs,  oranges, 
lemons,  water  and  sweet  melons,  quinces,  pomegranates, 
medlars,  plantains,  custard-apples,  guava,  olives  and 
sugar-cane — a  veritable  paradise  for  the  fruit  grower. 
Up  the  hill  slopes,  where  the  olive  luxuriates,  fine  woods 
of  sweet  acorn  and  cork  trees  are  passed,  and  any  day  you 
may  see  large  herds  of  swine  feeding  on  the  acorns  that 
have  fallen,  and  routing  out  other  delicacies  that  their 
sensitive  noses  tell  them  lie  hidden  beneath  the  surface. 
The  pork  of  Estremadura  is  reckoned  the  best  in  Spain, 
and  that  from  these  oak  woods  a  good  second.  The  pig 
in  Spain  is  a  clean  feeder,  and  you  can  eat  him  with  per- 
fect safety  anywhere.  Such  a  thing  as  the  offensive  pig- 
stye,  the  disgrace  of  rural  England,  is  absolutely  un- 
known here. 

Malaga's  climate  is  delightful,  despite  the  fierce  winds 
and  the  dust  they  raise.  Though  rain  seldom  falls  the 
cool  sea  breezes  in  summer  bring  a  refreshing  tonic  to 
the  dweller  up  country;  and  many  Spaniards  at  this  sea- 
son come  here  for  bathing,  and  obtain  a  maximum  of 
sunshine  without  the  intense  heat  of  the  interior. 

[92] 


(Hlfnpttt  ^tx 

VALENCIA 

VALENCIA  DEL  CID  is  inseparably  con- 
nected with  the  hero  of  Spanish  romance, 
Rodrigo  Diaz  of  Bivar,  to  give  him  his  real 
name,  "Cid"  being  a  corruption  of  the  Moor- 
ish Seyyid,  and  first  appearing  in  historical  documents 
of  the  year  1064.  Rising  to  great  power,  Alfonso  of 
Leon  appointed  him  to  the  command  of  his  army,  but 
through  jealousy  banished  him  in  108 1.  From  that  date 
the  Cid  became  a  true  knight-errant.  Barred  from  the 
kingdom  of  Leon,  he  was  ever  ready  to  sell  his  services 
to  the  highest  bidder;  and  after  many  wanderings  found 
himself  with  a  goodly  following  of  knights,  only  too 
eager  in  those  days,  when  might  was  right,  to  be  in  the 
train  of  so  redoubtable  a  champion,  en  route  to  Saragossa. 
The  Moorish  ruler  of  that  city  being  at  loggerheads  with 
the  Count  of  Barcelona,  accepted  the  Cid's  proffered 
services,  and  the  result  was  a  battle  in  which  the  Catalans 
were  badly  beaten. 

With  no  prospects  of  further  service  in  Aragon,  the 
Cid  turned  his  face  south  and  marched  on  Valencia, 
whose  Moorish  King,  Yahya,  was  only  too  pleased  to 

[93] 


CATHEDRAL   CITIES   OF    SPAIN 

request  his  protection  in  advance,  instead  of  succumbing 
to  his  conquering  arm.  Thus  began  Rodrigo's  connec- 
tion with  the  city,  which  with  one  or  two  intervals  ended 
only  at  his  death. 

It  was  from  the  top  of  the  Miguelete  Tower,  which 
is  pictured  in  my  illustration  of  the  Cathedral,  that  he 
showed  his  wife  Ximena  and  their  daughters  the  fair 
land  he  had  conquered.  Ths  was  in  1095,  when  after 
having  rejoined  Alfonso  and  left  him  again,  he  had  re- 
turned and  recaptured  the  city  after  a  siege  of  twenty 
months.  Four  years  later  died  the  man  whose  name 
was  a  terror  to  the  Infidel,  and  his  widow  Ximena,  fol- 
lowing the  traditions  of  her  warrior  husband,  held  Va- 
lencia against  overwhelming  hordes  of  Moors.  The  story 
of  the  bitter  end,  how  she  placed  his  body  on  his  favour- 
ite war-horse  and  drove  it  through  the  ranks  of  the 
enemy,  has  always  been  a  theme  for  the  balladmonger 
of  Spain. 

It  was  in  140  B.C.  that  Junius  Brutus  founded  a  small 
Roman  colony  on  the  banks  of  the  river  Turia.  Pompey 
destroyed  this  settlement  and  rebuilt  In  413  the  Goths 
took  possession.  The  Emir  of  Cordova  captured  it  in 
714  and  Valencia  remained  a  vassal  state  until  the  fall 
of  the  Omayeh  dynasty.  Like  other  provinces,  it  became 
merged  under  the  single  banner  that  floated  over  the 
greater  part  of  the  Peninsula  at  the  union  of  Aragon  and 

[  94  ] 


»    »   »        » 


.  •  ••  •     •  ' 


I 


VALENCIA. 
Door  of  the  Cathedral. 


VALENCIA 

Castile.  Being  a  coast  town  and  savouring  of  the  south, 
it  was  not  until  the  time  of  the  bigoted  Philip  III.  that 
the  industrious  and  unfortunate  Moriscoe  was  finally  ex- 
pelled from  the  shelter  of  Valencia's  walls. 

Souchet  sacked  the  place  in  the  Napoleonic  wars  and 
received  the  title  of  Duke  of  Albufera  from  his  master. 
Rather  an  empty  honour,  Albufera  being  the  large  and 
malarious  tract  of  marshland  along  the  coast  a  few  miles 
to  the  south  of  El  Grao,  and  worth  but  very  little. 

El  Grao  is  Valencia's  Port,  and  is  three  miles  distant 
from  the  city.  The  road  which  connects  the  two  is  about 
the  busiest  high  road  I  saw  in  Spain.  From  sunrise  till 
long  after  sunset  two  streams  of  vehicles  pass  to  and  fro. 
Strings  of  laden  donkeys,  waggonettes  crammed  with 
good-humoured  laughing  fisher  and  country  folk  pass 
along,  an  electric  tram  carries  those  who  can  afford  the 
extra  centimos,  and  the  carriages  of  Valencia's  well-to- 
do  citizens  take  them  to  the  harbour  for  a  breath  of  sea 
air  out  on  the  breakwaters.  Everything  seems  alive, 
and  though  there  is  that  balmy  feeling  in  the  air  which 
one  gets  in  Andalusia,  there  is  none  of  the  indolence  and 
seductive  dolce  far  niente  of  that  enchanting  province. 
No!  quite  the  other  way  in  Valencia.  The  peasants  are 
extremely  industrious.  The  soil  of  the  Huerta  bears 
them  three  crops  during  the  year.  The  system  of  irri- 
gation, the  old  Moorish  system  by-the-way,  is  perfect, 

[97] 


CATHEDRAL   CITIES   OF   SPAIN 

and  though  the  product  of  a  soil  which  is  forced  to  bear 
more  than  it  naturally  can,  is  reinforced  at  sowing  time, 
in  the  case  of  corn,  by  Russian  grain,  it  cannot  be  said 
that  Valencia  depends  on  any  outside  help  for  her  pros- 
perity. The  swamps  bordering  on  the  coast  grow  the 
finest  rice  in  the  world.  The  wines  of  the  province  are 
good  and  cheap,  held  in  much  esteem  by  French  mer- 
chants to  fortify  the  lighter  produce  of  their  own  coun- 
try. So  cheap  are  they,  in  fact,  that  in  some  parts  of  the 
province  it  costs  more  to  get  a  drink  of  water  than  a  glass 
of  wine.  Yet  drunkenness  is  unknown.  If  a  Valencian 
took  a  drop  too  much,  he  would  be  promptly  boycotted 
by  his  neighbours,  and  for  ever  after  looked  upon  as  a 
disgusting  and  outlandish  boor,  a  disgrace  to  his  village 
and  a  man  to  be  shunned. 

The  peasant  is  very  illiterate  and  scrupulously  honest 
— the  one  follows  the  other.  Like  the  Andalusian,  he  is 
absolutely  trustworthy  in  all  his  dealings,  which  are  con- 
ducted by  word  of  mouth.  In  buying  and  selling  no  sig- 
natures to  documents  pass  between  the  contracting  par- 
ties. If  any  paper  is  ever  signed,  it  is  confirmed  by  cer- 
tain scratches  or  marks  known  to  belong  to  so  and  so — 
the  signee.  His  word  is  his  bond,  it  is  generally  all  he 
can  give,  but  it  is  enough  and  is  worth  more  than  signa- 
tures sometimes  are.  Further  north,  where  modern  ways 
of  life  are  more  in  vogue,  and  where  all  is  more  "  ad- 

[98] 


VALENCIA 

vanced,"  there  are  ten  lawyers  to  the  one  in  Valencia 
and  the  south. 

The  Cathedral  was  originally  a  Gothic  structure,  but 
one  fashion  following  another,  has  been  at  different  times 
so  altered  and  robbed  of  all  architectural  beauty  that 
there  remains  but  little  of  interest  in  the  building.  It 
was  founded  in  1262  and  finished  two  hundred  years 
later.  El  Miguelete,  the  celebrated  Bell  Tower,  is  so 
named  because  the  bells  were  first  hung  on  St.  Michael's 
Day.  Like  the  Torre  dc  Vela  of  the  Alhambra,  a  bell 
is  here  struck  which  regulates  the  irrigation  of  the 
Huerta. 

In  this  connection,  and  as  an  exemplification  of  the 
peasant's  trustworthiness,  once  a  month,  on  a  Thursday, 
the  Tribunal  de  Aguas  sits  in  the  Plaza  de  la  Seo  outside 
the  Puerto  de  los  Apostoles  or  north  door  of  the  Cathe- 
dral. Its  presiding  members  are  chosen  by  their  fellow 
peasants  for  their  integrity  and  general  standing  in  the 
community.  They  exercise  absolute  control  over  the 
seven  different  irrigation  districts.  The  Government  has 
once  or  twice  interfered  with  this,  but  unsuccessfully. 
Plaintiffs  and  defendants  appear  before  this  primitive 
tribunal  seated  in  a  public  square.  The  case  is  stated, 
pros  and  cons  weighed,  and  judgment  given  fairly  on  its 
merits.  Any  one  passing  can  stop  and  hear  the  argu- 
ments of  both  sides.    As  a  proof  of  the  shrewdness  the 

[99] 


CATHEDRAL   CITIES   OF   SPAIN 

peasants  possess  and  the  confidence  they  have  in  their 
dealings  with  one  another,  no  appeal  is  ever  made  from 
the  judgment  of  their  elders. 

This  north  door  has  good  sculptured  figures  in  the 
jambs  and  archivolt.  Above  is  a  fine  rose  w^indow.  These 
are  among  the  remains  of  the  first  building.  Another 
relic  of  the  early  structure  is  the  octagonal  cimborio 
erected  about  the  same  time  as  the  doorway,  i.e.,  1350. 
The  lancet  windows  over  the  Puerta  del  PalaUj  which  is 
surmounted  by  a  round  arch  with  carvings  in  the  jambs, 
are  all  of  the  same  period.  The  third  doorway,  the 
Puerta  del  Miguelete,  is  florid  and  overdone,  and  dates 
from  the  eighteenth  century.  Its  bronze  doors,  however, 
are  extremely  fine. 

The  best  features  of  the  much-spoilt  interior  are  the 

octagon  and  the  very  beautiful  Corinthian  silleria  del 
coro.  The  orginal  retablo  over  the  High  Altar  was  set 
on  fire  by  the  lighted  cotton  attached  to  a  pigeon  let  loose 
at  a  religious  ceremony  in  1469.  The  side  panels  alone 
were  saved  from  the  results  of  the  terrified  bird's  erratic 
flight.  Close  by  on  a  pillar  is  hung  the  armour  of  James 
I.  of  Aragon. 

Over  the  sacristy  door  is  a  good  painting  by  Ribalta 
of  Christ  Bearing  the  Cross,  and  in  the  ante-room  an 
Adoration  by  Ribera,  besides  five  good  examples  of 
Juanes'  brush. 

[100] 


)  ',  1    '      >  ' 


>  1      1      »    » 


'     '       ''",', 


111  ■>    ■> 


VALENCIA. 

Religious  Procession. 


VALENCIA 

Among  the  treasures  of  the  Cathedral  is  an  extraordi-^ 
nary  piece  of  goldsmith's  work,  a  Calix,  showing  four 
different  periods  of  this  art,  i.e.,  Roman  IX'^,  XV*''  and 
XVr*'  centuries.  It  figures  in  the  picture  of  the  Last 
Supper  by  Juanes,  which  is  now  in  the  Prado  at  Madrid. 
An  interesting  trophy  also  belongs  to  the  Cathedral  in 
the  shape  of  the  chain  which  at  one  time  closed  the  old 
Port  of  Marseilles. 

The  many  different  varieties  of  marble  used  in  the 
decoration  of  the  building  form  a  very  pleasing  series^, 
and  go  some  way  towards  compensating  the  disappoint- 
ment one  experiences  with  the  much-altered  style  of  what 
ought  to  be  a  grand  interior. 

I  saw  a  good  procession  one  evening  wending  its  way- 
through  the  crowds  which  lined  the  narrow  street  near 
the  church  of  Santa  Catalina.  The  balconies  were  filled 
with  occupants  who  showered  rose  leaves  down  as  the 
effigy  of  St.  John  passed  by.  The  light  from  the  torches- 
carried  by  some  boys  flickered  upwards  and  caught  the- 
faces  of  those  peering  over  from  their  vantage  posts 
above.  The  crowd  knelt  as  the  saint  passed,  and  once 
more  the  vitality  of  the  Church,  which  I  could  not  but 
feel  wherever  I  went  in  Spain,  is  the  thing  that  lives, 
was  again  in  evidence. 

Over  the  door  of  the  church  of  San  Martin  is  a  good 
equestrian  group  in  bronze.  San  Domingo  has  some  very^ 

[103] 


CATHEDRAL   CITIES   OF    SPAIN 

beautiful  cloisters  of  late  Gothic  date,  and  San  Salvador 
possesses  Valencia's  miraculous  image.  Nicodemus  is 
reputed  to  have  made  this,  the  Christ  of  Beyrout.  The 
marvellous  relic  navigated  itself  from  Syria  across  the 
waters  of  the  Mediterranean  and  reached  Valencia 
against  the  river's  stream.  A  monument  on  the  bank 
marks  the  spot  where  the  wonderful  voyage  ended  by 
the  safe  landing  of  the  Christ.  It  is  much  visited  by 
the  devout.  In  the  chapel  attached  to  the  Colegio  del 
Patriarca  hangs  Ribalta's  fine  Last  Supper.  Every  Fri- 
day morning  at  ten  o'clock  the  Miserere  is  celebrated 
here.  The  impressive  ceremony  commences  with  the 
slow  lowering  of  this  picture  from  its  place  above  the 
High  Altar.  The  void  is  filled  by  a  dark  cloth,  which, 
as  the  service  proceeds,  is  gently  drawn  aside,  disclosing 
a  second  clotli;  this  is  again  repeated,  followed  by  an- 
other, and  when  this,  the  fourth  cloth,  is  parted  asunder  a 
fine  painting  of  Christ  Crucified  is  revealed.  Meanwhile, 
chants  appropriate  to  the  solemn  service  have  been  filling 
the  church  and  increasing  the  tension  of  the  congrega- 
tion. The  whole  ceremony  is  a  very  good  piece  of  stage 
management  and  certainly  most  thrilling  and  inspiring. 
The  black  mantilla  for  ladies  is  de  rigeur. 

Valencia's  walls,  erected  in  1356,  were  demolished  in 
1 871  to  give  work  to  the  unemployed,  and  the  spacious 
Paseo  made  in  their  stead.  The  trees  planted  along  this 

[104] 


»        *       »  1 


VALENCIA. 
SrtK   Pablo. 


VALENCIA 

carriage  drive  have  added  materially  to  the  health  of  the 
city. 

Of  the  two  remaining  gates,  the  Torres  de  Serranos  is 
much  the  better.  Built  in  the  second  half  of  the  four- 
teenth century  on  Roman  foundations,  its  massive  con- 
struction and  great  height  are  very  grand.  It  is  bne  of 
the  best  gates  I  know.  The  archway  itself  is  rather  low. 
The  double  floors  above  have  fine  Gothic  vaulting  and 
are  approached  by  a  flight  of  steps.  The  gallery  is  sup- 
ported on  heavy  corbels,  and  the  cornice  has  deep  machi- 
colations. The  whole  rises  in  isolated  grandeur  and  may 
perhaps  gain,  from  the  painter's  point  of  view,  by  the 
absence  of  flanking  walls. 

The  Torre  de  Cuarto  is  another  enormous  gateway 
with  two  huge  round  towers  on  either  side.  It  still  bears 
the  marks  of  Souchet's  artillery — whose  round  shot  did 
apparently  no  damage  whatever.  Not  far  from  this  gate 
lies  the  Mercado  situated  in  the  middle  of  the  old  quar- 
ters of  the  city.  Valencia  is  quite  a  modern  town,  it  is 
rapidly  losing  everything  of  any  age,  and  changing  its 
narrow  unsanitary  streets  for  spacious  well-built  thor- 
oughfares. 

The  Mercado  is  by  far  the  largest  and  most  attractive 
market  in  Spain.  Fruit  and  vegetables,  wicker  goods  of 
all  sorts,  baskets,  chairs,  toys,  leather-work  and  harness, 
brightly  coloured  mule  trappings,  every  description  of 

[  107  ] 


CATHEDRAL   CITIES   OF   SPAIN 

wood  and  metal-work,  the  usual  assortment  of  old  iron, 
lamps,  antique  and  modern,  oleographs  and  chromos, 
saints  and  virgins  jostling  the  latest  cheap  reproduction 
of  a  famous  Torrero  or  Bailarina,  furniture,  worn-out 
field  implements  and  new  cutlery,  lace,  everything,  in 
fact,  including  smells,  the  variety  of  which  I  found  un- 
equalled anywhere.  Strong  garlic  assaulted  my  nostrils 
— in  three  more  steps  I  was  in  the  midst  of  roses  and 
carnations,  half  a  dozen  more  and  a  horribly  rank  cheese 
made  the  air  vibrate;  and  so  it  continued  from  one  end 
to  the  other  of  this  most  fascinating  kaleidoscopic  throng, 
to  study  which  I  returned  every  day  of  my  sojourn  in 
Valencia. 

On  one  side  of  this  wonderful  market-place  stands  the 
Lonja  de  la  Seda.  It  dates  from  1482  and  occupies  the 
site  of  the  Moorish  Alcazar.  Perhaps  of  all  the  exam- 
ples of  Gothic  civil  architecture  in  Europe,  the  Lonja 
de  la  Seda  can  claim  the  first  place.  The  west  fagade, 
facing  the  Mercado,  has  a  double  row  of  square-topped 
Gothic  windows,  above  which  is  a  traceried  gallery  run- 
ning round  the  entire  building  with  gargoyles  and  a 
frieze  of  heads  below  the  embattled  parapet. 

In  the  centre  is  a  tower  with  a  couple  of  Gothic  win- 
dows. There  are  two  separate  buildings  in  this  "  Silk 
Exchange,"  one  of  which  has  a  beautiful  court.  The 
whole  of  the  other  is  occupied  by  the  Exchange  Hall. 
The  rich  star  vaulting  of  the  interior  is  borne  by  two 

[.08] 


VALENCIA 

rows  of  spiral  columns  without  capitals;  they  branch  out 
to  the  roof  like  the  leaves  of  a  palm  tree  and  it  is  very 
evident  that  this  beautiful  treatment  was  suggested  by 
the  growth  of  the  tree. 

Valencia  has  always  been  celebrated  for  a  certain  style 
or  school  of  painting,  and  in  the  Museum,  which  occu- 
pies the  buildings  of  the  old  Convento  del  Carmen,  Ri- 
balta,  Espinosa  and  Juanes  are  seen  at  their  best.  The 
school  is  noted  for  the  peculiar  deep  red  undertone  of 
the  shadows,  which  is  very  markedly  apparent  in  the 
works  hanging  on  these  walls.  There  are  also  some  beau- 
tiful examples  of  native  faience  and  pottery,  for  Valencia 
is  still  the  home  of  Spanish  lustre  ware. 

The  Valencians  are  great  bird  fanciers,  and  very  keen 
pigeon  shots.  Numerous  lofts  built  on  the  roofs  for 
these  birds  cut  the  sky-line  in  the  old  quarters  of  the  city, 
Sunday  sees  the  dry  bed  of  the  Turia  full  of  competitors 
in  shooting  matches,  when  toll  is  taken  of  the  feathered 
inhabitants  of  these  airy  dwellings. 

If  it  were  not  for  the  rather  bad  drinking  water  and 
the  malarious  marshes,  the  breeding  ground  of  a  most 
particularly  venomous  mosquito,  Valencia  would  be  as 
pleasant  and  lively  a  spot  for  residence  as  any  in  Spain. 
The  climate  is  good  and  it  is  near  the  sea.  It  stands  on 
the  edge  of  a  veritable  fruit  garden,  and  its  people  are 
pleasant  and  friendly. 

[  109  ] 


TORTOSA 

^^- g^OURNEYING  to  Valencia   from  the  north 

/^  I  one  is  carried  along  a  grand  bit  of  coast  with 
^L^^^  glimpses  of  the  blue  Mediterranean  rolling  in 
on  stretches  of  yellow  sand,  and  breaking  into 
spray  on  the  rocks  above  which  the  train  runs.  The 
rapido  stops  for  lunch  at  Tortosa,  and  I  got  out  intending 
to  stay  if  there  was  anything  in  the  famous  old  city  or  its 
Cathedral  which  might  bear  illustrating  in  this  book. 

I  reached  the  best  fonda  in  the  place,  and  was  heartily 
welcomed  by  its  lively  little  landlord,  who  immediately 
handed  me  one  of  his  cards,  whereon  was  set  out,  amongst 
many  superlatives,  the  news  that  an  interpreter  was  at- 
tached to  the  house.  "  Gone  away  for  the  day,  senor," 
was  the  reply  when  I  asked  for  an  interview.  He  was  al- 
ways away,  I  fear;  however,  I  did  not  need  his  services, 
and  my  host  and  I  became  fast  friends.  So  friendly  in- 
deed that  I  only  just  avoided  an  embrace  at  parting  on 
the  day  I  left.  He  took  great  interest  in  my  doings,  and 
on  his  side  gave  me  much  information.     He  explained 

[no] 


TORTOSA 

to  me  how  the  mighty  Ebro,  on  which  Tortosa  is  situated, 
and  to  which  it  owes  its  existence,  had  risen  in  flood  dur- 
ing the  disastrous  October  of  1907.  "Right  up  to  here, 
senor" — this  while  I  was  having  lunch — and  he  pointed 
to  a  spot  a  couple  of  inches  off  the  floor  of  the  comedor, 
which  was  on  the  first  floor  of  the  house — "  A  terrible 
flood  that?" — "Yes,  senor,  the  streets  were  for  weeks 
full  of  mud  and  all  sorts  of  things.  Hundreds  of  poor 
people  lost  everything  and  many  were  swept  out  to  sea." 

Another  day  I  remarked  on  the  gas  that  lit  the  fonda 
and  asked  my  host  why  he  had  not  put  in  electric  light. 
"  It  is  too  expensive,  senor;  some  people  have  it,  and  the 
Market  Hall  is  lit  by  it;  but  you  must  understand  that 
Tortosa  long  ago  did  away  with  oil  lamps  and  was  one 
of  the  first  places  in  Spain  to  use  gas.  And  now? — well, 
it  is  enough  for  us,  and  the  electric  light  is  too  ex- 
pensive." 

Elsewhere  in  Spain  1  have  been  told  with  pride  that 
the  country  is  still  in  the  foremost  rank  of  civilisation — 
whatever  the  Progressive  Press  says — and  the  almost  uni- 
versal use  of  electricity  has  been  pointed  out  to  verify 
the  boast.  But  Tortosa,  which  led  the  van  when  gas  was 
a  novelty,  is  the  only  place  of  any  importance  that  I 
know  which  is  still  lit  by  this  means. 

Local  tradition  has  it,  that  the  city  dates  back  to  the 
time  of  St.  Paul,  who,  I  was  told,  settled  here  and  built 

[III] 


CATHEDRAL   CITIES   OF   SPAIN 

himself  a  nice  little  house.  Whatever  the  saint  did  it  is 
on  record  that  before  his  day  the  town  was  an  important 
Iberian  port  of  the  Ilercaones  tribe,  and  in  later  years, 
under  the  Romans,  possessed  a  mint  of  its  own,  being 
then  known  as  Julia  Augusta  Dertosa.  Strategically  the 
key  of  the  great  river,  Tortosa  was  subject  to  repeated 
attempts  at  capture  by  those  not  in  occupation.  During 
the  time  when  it  was  held  by  the  Moors,  Charlemagne's 
son  Louis,  after  an  unsuccessful  attempt,  gained  posses- 
sion, only  to  be  driven  out  in  the  year  8io.  It  was  not 
until  1 148  that  the  Infidel's  reign  was  finally  terminated 
by  Ramon  Bereuguer,  Count  of  Barcelona. 

In  the  following  year  a  desperate  attempt  was  made 
by  the  Moors  to  retake  their  stronghold,  and  the  inhabi- 
tants, reduced  to  the  last  stage  of  despair,  contemplated 
the  sacrifice  of  their  women  and  children,  and  then  a 
final  sortie  to  end  their  own  lives.  The  women,  however, 
showed  a  true  militant  spirit,  they  courted  death,  but 
not  in  this  mean  manner.  Mounting  the  hardly  defens- 
ible walls  with  every  and  any  weapon  they  could  lay 
hands  on,  the  men  were  directed  to  sally  forth.  The 
gates  were  opened,  and  cheered  on  by  their  wives  and 
daughters,  the  sterner  sex  rushed  out  So  determined 
was  the  onslaught  that  the  Moorish  host  was  beaten  back 
and  fled,  leaving  all  the  plunder  in  his  camp  behind. 

Ramon,  to  show  his  appreciation  of  the  heroism  dis- 

[112] 


< 

'■Ji 

o 

H 
C3 
O 

H 


TORTOSA 

played  by  the  fair  ones,  invested  them  with  the  Order  of 
the  Axe  (La  Hacha)  and  decorated  them  with  the  red 
military  scarf.  Also  decreeing  that  at  their  marriage 
they  should  precede  mankind,  and  to  this  added  the  priv- 
ilege of  duty-free  dress  materials.  What  more  could 
woman  want? 

The  Cathedral  occupies  the  site  of  a  mosque  erected 
in  914  by  Abderrhaman.  A  Cufic  inscription  in  the 
wall  at  the  back  of  the  sacristy  relates  this  with  the  date. 
Bishop  Lanfredo  dedicated  the  building  to  the  Virgin 
in  1 158,  but  the  present  structure  dates  from  1347.  It 
is  extremely  good  Gothic,  with  a  heavy  baroque  west 
facade,  ugly  and  ill-proportioned.  Of  the  exterior  but 
little  is  visible,  and  my  sketch  simply  includes  the  upper 
part  of  the  fagade,  visible  over  the  roofs  of  the  quaint  old 
town,  with  the  river  flowing  in  front. 

The  interior  is  very  simple  and  dignified.  The  slender 
columns  of  the  nave  rise  to  a  great  height;  the  light  that 
filters  through  the  few  clerestory  windows  that  are  not 
blocked  subdues  the  garishness  of  a  bad  trascoro,  and 
finds  its  way  amongst  the  tracery  of  the  arches  of  the 
double  apse.  In  Avila  Cathedral  this  same  feature  pre- 
vails. A  double  aisled  apse  with  open-work  tracery  be- 
tween the  arches  and  below  the  vaulting  of  the  aisles. 

The  silleria  of  the  coro  were  carved  by  Cristobal  de 
Salamanca  in  1588,  and  are  really  beautiful.     The  two 

[115] 


CATHEDRAL   CITIES   OF   SPAIN 

pulpits  are  covered  with  interesting  iron  bas-reliefs,  and 
the  High  Altar  encased  in  a  mass  of  plateresque  silver 
work.  The  retablo  is  a  good  specimen  of  early  Gothic 
work,  and  I  could  not  help  thinking  how  much  better 
such  an  one  is  than  the  many  overdone  chirrugueresque 
atrocities  met  with  in  more  famous  places. 

Tortosa  is  the  centre  of  a  district  the  mountains  of 
which  yield  many  dififerent  kinds  of  marble,  and  the 
Cathedral  is  especially  rich  in  these.  Perhaps  the  chapel 
of  Cinta  contains  the  best;  the  most  used  is  the  brocca- 
tello  di  spagna,  a  purple  colour  with  tiny  marine  mol- 
luscs embedded  in  the  hard  clay.  The  Cathedral  is 
adorned  at  certain  festivals  with  a  series  of  splendid  tap- 
estries, and  amongst  many  relics  overlooked  and  left  by 
the  French  is  a  fine  Moorish  casket  of  ivory. 

Pope  Adrian  IV.,  the  Englishman,  was  at  one  time 
Bishop  of  Tortosa,  a  fact  which  added  interest  to  this 
beautiful  little  Cathedral. 

The  cloisters  are  early  pointed  Gothic,  now  much  di- 
lapidated and  uncared  for.  On  the  encircling  walls  are 
many  highly  interesting  mural  tablets,  a  few  of  which 
have  recumbent  figures  cut  in  low  relief  with  their  backs 
to  the  wall,  as  is  the  case  in  the  earliest  Gothic  effigies 
of  this  sort. 


[ii6] 


TARRAGONA 

Y  recollections  of  Tarragona  can  be  summed 
up  in  three  words — blue  sea,  sunshine,  and 
peace. 

Some  fifteen  or  twenty  years  ago  the  quays 
of  its  fine  harbour  were  full  of  life  and  bustle;  ships  en- 
tered the  port  and  ships  went  out.  The  trade  with  France 
in  light  wines  was  good,  and  with  England  and  America 
in  those  of  heavier  quality,  better  still. 

Nowadays  it  is  cheaper  to  send  wines  by  rail.  Reus, 
a  railway  centre  a  few  miles  inland,  has  captured  a  great 
deal  of  Tarragona's  trade,  and  modern  history  repeats 
itself  once  more.  Cheap  and  quick  delivery  are  the 
watchwords.  Hurry  and  hustle  are  leaving  the  old  trad- 
ing towns  behind.  Barcelona  is  not  far  away.  Cen- 
tralisation is  everything,  and  thus  it  happened  that  I 
found  very  few  places  in  Spain  so  reposeful  as  Tarra- 
gona. And  I  might  add  so  beautifully  situated  as  this 
old  city  which  climbs  and  crowns  a  hill  that  rises  from 
the  very  edge  of  the  blue  Mediterranean. 
Very  few  cities  in  Spain  can  boast  of  prehistoric  walls 

[117] 


CATHEDRAL   CITIES   OF   SPAIN 

still  extant.  Tarragona  can  do  so.  The  huge  uneven 
blocks  of  granite,  which  may  be  seen  in  my  sketch  of  the 
Archbishop's  Tower,  occupy  the  lower  portion  of  the 
old  Roman  walls.  On  the  north  side  of  the  city  they  are 
even  more  visible  than  in  the  sketch.  Some  of  the  blocks 
measure  thirteen  by  seven  by  five  feet.  Three  of  the 
ancient  portals,  the  stone  of  which  is  faced  inside,  still 
exist,  but  apparently  no  records  do,  to  tell  us  who  placed 
these  Cyclopeian  defences  where  they  stand  to-day. 

Many  remains  of  Roman  days  may  be  seen  built  into 
the  houses  of  the  old  and  higher  town,  tablets,  mural  in- 
scriptions, bits  of  columns,  &c.  The  Cathedral  possesses 
numerous  plinths  and  pillars  of  marble  from  the  quar- 
ries at  Tortosa,  built  into  its  walls,  and  the  Font  in  the 
Baptistry  is  an  old  Roman  Basin.  What  a  glorious  city 
it  must  have  been  when  the  Emperor  Augustus  made  it 
his  capital!  and  the  overland  trade  met  the  sea-going  in 
the  harbour  below. 

Twenty  miles  away  at  Gaya  the  Romans  tapped  a 
continuous  supply  of  fresh  water,  and  their  aqueduct,  a 
good  deal  of  which  remains,  ranks  next  to  that  of  Segovia 
in  size,  and  stands  as  an  example  of  how  the  Romans 
built.  Roman  villas  with  incomparable  views  out  to  sea, 
dotted  the  hillsides;  temples  to  every  god  and  goddess 
rose  in  the  city,  which  contained  a  million  inhabitants. 
It  possessed  a  mint  of  its  own,  and,  favoured  by  nature 

[n8] 


■>  1         ■>         1     t  1 


o 

o 


TARRAGONA 

and  art,  became  known  as  "  Colonia  victrix  togata 
turrita." 

The  Moslem  sacked  Tarragona,  and  for  four  cen- 
turies one  of  the  glories  of  Colonial  Rome  lay  a  heap  of 
ruins.  In  1089,  at  the  commencement  of  the  building  of 
the  Cathedral,  the  see,  much  to  the  disgust  of  Toledo, 
was  raised  to  metropolitan  dignity.  Thenceforth,  be- 
tween the  two  cities,  endless  disputes  have  arisen  as  to 
the  Primacy  of  Spain. 

Though  begun  at  the  above  date,  most  of  the  Cathe- 
dral is  of  the  twelfth  and  early  thirteenth-century  work. 
It  is  not  known  who  designed  this  magnificent  church, 
the  finest  example  of  Transition  in  Spain.  The  interior 
is  very  simple  and  very  dignified.  The  roof  is  borne  by 
grand  piers,  thirty-five  feet  in  circumference.  Their 
bases  are  broken  by  four  seats,  one  in  each  corner,  placed 
thus  to  enhance  the  line  of  the  composition,  and  break 
the  otherwise  too  great  severity  of  the  foundations. 

There  is  no  triforium;  but  an  early  pointed  clerestory 
of  large  bays,  and  a  superb  rose  window  in  the  west,  of 
date  1 131,  admit  a  flood  of  light.  Nothing  could  well 
be  simpler  than  the  pairs  of  massive  columns  which 
carry  the  centre  arches  of  the  vaulting,  nor  finer  than  the 
delicate  single  attendant  at  their  sides  from  which  spring 
the  transverse  sections.  All  these  are  capped  with  square 
Romanesque  capitals 

[121] 


CATHEDRAL   CITIES   OF   SPAIN 

The  chancel  is  pure  Romanesque  and  very  beautiful. 
The  semicircular  end  of  the  Capilla  Mayor  and  the  two 
small  apses  are  the  oldest  part  of  this  noble  building. 
The  retablo  of  the  High  Altar  is  alabaster,  and  carved 
with  reliefs  of  the  martyrdom  of  Santa  Tecla,  Tarra- 
gona's patroness.  The  delicate  tapering  finials  and  the 
figures  under  canopies  below,  are  carved  in  wood.  Be- 
hind the  High  Altar  is  a  very  interesting  urn  which  con- 
tains the  ashes  of  Cyprian,  a  Gothic  archbishop. 

The  fine  cimborio  which  rises  above  the  crossing  has 
eight  windows  of  three  and  four  lights  alternately,  which 
contain  fragments  of  very  brilliant  coloured  glass.  In 
the  transepts  are  two  magnificent  wheel  windows  full  of 
good  glass,  indeed  I  know  of  no  better  scheme  of  colour 
than  that  which  adorns  this  window  on  the  south  side. 

The  silleria  del  coro  are  the  work  of  Francisco  Gomar 
and  date  from  1478.  The  body  of  James  I.  of  Aragon 
lies  in  a  tomb  at  the  west  end  of  the  trascoro,  having  been 
brought  here  from  the  ruined  Monastery  of  Poblet — the 
Escorial  of  Aragon.  A  ruin  where  still  lie  under  their 
much  despoiled  and  mutilated  tombs  some  of  the  rulers 
of  that  kingdom. 

This  grand  Cathedral  is  not  dependent  on  gloom  or 
subdued  light  for  its  great  impressiveness.  On  the  con- 
trary, it  is  the  best  lit  of  any  of  Spain's  Cathedrals,  and  it 
is  on  its  excellent  proportions  and  scale  alone  that  its 

[122] 


TARHAfJONA. 

The  Cloisteys. 


TARRAGONA 

reputation  for  solemnity  will  always  rest,  and  its  maj- 
esty be  ever  remembered. 

The  west  fagade,  commenced  in  1248,  is  constructed  of 
a  light-coloured  stone,  which  time  has  improved  into  a 
very  beautiful  sienna  brown.  The  upper  portion  is  un- 
finished. In  the  centre  is  a  fine  and  deeply  recessed 
Gothic  portal,  flanked  by  two  massive  buttresses.  Under 
Gothic  canopies  stand  statues  of  the  Apostles  and 
Prophets,  the  lintel  of  the  doorway  is  supported  by  a 
Virgin  and  Child,  above  which  is  the  Saviour,  and  a  row 
of  figures  rising  out  of  their  tombs  on  the  Judgment  Day. 
Above  all  is  the  already-mentioned  rose  window.  So 
well  does  the  mass  of  the  building  rise  above  the  adja- 
cent roofs  that  this  window  is  visible  from  the  break- 
water of  the  harbour.  The  two  doorways  on  either  side 
of  the  facade  are  pure  Romanesque.  Each  is  sur- 
mounted by  a  small  wheel  window.  The  iron  work 
which  covers  the  door  is  of  a  very  intricate  design;  and 
the  huge  iron  knockers  with  grotesque  heads,  the  hinges 
of  the  doors,  and  the  copper  work  as  well,  gave  me  many 
pleasant  moments  in  marvelling  at  the  skill  of  the  smiths 
of  days  gone  by. 

It  was  in  the  cloisters,  however,  that  I  found  the  great- 
est charm  of  the  whole  Cathedral.  The  court  is  a  veri- 
table garden,  where  date  palms,  fig  trees  and  oleanders 
crowd  one  another  in  the  neatly  arranged  beds  behind 

[125] 


CATHEDRAL   CITIES   OF   SPAIN 

box  hedges.  I  spent  many  pleasant  hours  in  this  delight- 
ful spot,  my  solitude  broken  by  occasional  visits  from  the 
Sacristan,  who,  in  his  faded  and  patched  purple  cassock, 
came  in  at  odd  times  for  a  chat.  Very  proud  of  his 
Cathedral  was  this  quiet  custodian,  and  I  shall  never 
forget  his  soft  voice  and  winning  smile,  nor  the  great  in- 
terest he  evinced  in  my  sketch.  The  swifts  rushed 
screaming  past,  the  bees  hummed  from  flower  to  flower, 
the  scent  of  the  plants  was  delicious,  the  warm  sun  and 
the  splash  of  the  fountain — turned  on  for  my  benefit — 
all  went  to  help  the  welcome  repose  and  forgetfulness 
of  the  outer  world  that  overcame  me  as  long  as  I  was  at 
work  in  this  little  Paradise. 

The  double  doorway  in  the  north  transept  through 
which  one  enters  the  cloisters  from  the  Cathedral,  is  the 
finest  of  all.  The  capitals  of  its  detached  shafts  are  won- 
derfully carved.  They  represent  the  Awaking  of  the 
Three  Kings  by  an  Angel,  the  Nativity  and  the  Journey 
of  the  Magi.  The  arcading  of  the  cloisters  consists  of 
six  bays  on  all  four  sides;  these  bays  are  subdivided  into 
three  round  arches,  with  a  couple  of  circular  openings 
above  and  enclosed  within  the  arch.  Some  of  these 
openings  contain  very  beautifully  carved  tracery. 

The  capitals  of  the  columns  are  a  museum  of  quaint 
fancy  and  good  carving.  In  one  set,  all  the  incidents  of 
a  sea  voyage  are  cut,  in  another,  mice  are  seen  carrying  a 

[126] 


T4».«.^<^»h^ 


TA.i;i!.\(i()NA. 
The  Arclihisliop's  Toiver. 


TARRAGONA 

cat  to  his  grave,  who,  shamming  death,  turns  and  de- 
vours some  of  them  before  his  obsequies  are  complete. 
There  is  a  Descent  from  the  Cross,  where  one  of  the 
Faithful  wields  a  pair  of  pincers  much  longer  than  his 
own  arms,  so  determined  is  he  to  pull  out  the  nails  that 
cruelly  wound  Christ's  hands. 

Many  fragments  of  Roman  sculpture  are  let  into  the 
walls;  and  a  lovely  little  Moorish  arch,  with  a  Cufic  in- 
scription and  date  960,  reminds  one  of  the  Infidel's  rule, 
over  the  city. 

To  reach  times  nearer  our  own,  there  are  two  inscrip- 
tions telling  of  the  occupation  by  British  troops,  which 
run — c^th  Company  and  further  on  Gth  Company — ob- 
viously pointing  to  the  fact  that  these  lovely  cloisters 
sheltered  some  of  our  own  troops  during  the  Peninsular 
War.  Like  many  other  Cathedrals,  Tarragona's  pos- 
sesses a  grand  series  of  tapestries,  which  are  hung  round 
the  columns  and  walls  during  certain  festivals.  They 
are  mostly  Flemish  and  not  in  any  way  ecclesiastical. 
One  indeed  that  I  saw  was  anything  but  this.  Cupid 
was  leading  a  lady,  who  was  in  deshabille,  into  her  cham- 
ber, wherein,  by  a  four-post  bed,  stood  a  gentleman  with 
a  lighted  taper  in  his  hand! 

It  was  pleasant  in  the  evening  to  stroll  down  to  the 
harbour  and  out  along  the  mole.  To  watch  the  deep-sea 
fishing  fleet  race  home  with  the  long  sweeps  out  in  every 

[129] 


CATHEDRAL   CITIES   OF   SPAIN 

boat  as  the  wind  dropped  and  the  sea  became  an  oily 
calm.  I  must  own  it  was  with  great  regret  I  left  this 
now  peaceful  spot — a  city  that  once  boasted  of  a  million 
inhabitants,  and  prior  to  that  was  a  great  Phoenician 
porti  Of  all  the  Cathedral  Cities  of  Spain  I  would 
rather  return  to  Tarragona  than  any  other,  hold  converse 
with  my  friend  the  Sacristan,  who  knows  and  loves  his 
Cathedral  so  well,  and  end  the  day  as  the  sun  goes  down 
watching  the  boats  return  from  long  hours  of  toil. 


[130] 


BARCELONA 

ARCELONA  the  Progressive,  the  finest  port 
of    Spain,  with    its    large    harbour,  its    wide 
boulevards,    splendid    suburbs,    good    hotels, 
huge  factories  and  modern  prosperity  has  well 
earned  the  title  of  first  city  of  the  New  Spain. 

Amilcar  Barca  in  225  B.C.  founded  the  Carthagenian 
city  which  occupied  the  Taber  hill  on  which  the  Cathe- 
dral now  stands,  and  twenty  years  later  it  became  a  col- 
ony of  Rome.  Remnants  of  the  old  walls  can  still  be 
traced  in  the  narrow  streets  which  centre  round  the  Holy 
Fabric.  Under  the  Goths,  Barcino,  as  it  was  then  called, 
rose  to  some  importance;  money  coined  here  bears  the 
legend  "Barcinona."  The  Moors  were  in  possession  of 
the  sea-washed  fortress  for  about  one  hundred  years,  and 
then  the  reign  of  the  Counts  of  Barcelona,  independent 
sovereigns,  began. 

Count  Ramon  Berenguer  I.,  who  ruled  from  1025  to 
1077,  instituted  the  famous  "  Codego  de  los  Usatjes  de 
Cataluna,"  an  admirable  code  of  laws,  to  which  was 
added  in  the  thirteenth  century  the  "  Consulado  del  mar 
de  Barcelona."     This  latter  code  obtained  in  the  com- 

[131] 


CATHEDRAL   CITIES   OF   SPAIN 

mercial  world  of  Europe  the  same  authority  as  the  old 
"Leges  Rhodiae"  of  the  ancients. 

When  at  the  height  of  its  prosperity,  Barcelona  the 
centre  of  commerce,  received  a  severe  blow  by  the  union 
of  Cataluna  with  Aragon,  on  the  occasion  of  the  mar- 
riage of  Count  Ramon  Berenguer  IV.  to  Petronila, 
daughter  of  Ramiro  II.,  King  of  Aragon.  When  Aragon 
and  Castile  were  united  Barcelona  became  subject  to  the 
"  Catholic  Kings,"  and  ever  since,  in  language,  in  habits 
and  enterprise  has  shown  her  dislike  for  and  her  struggle 
against  the  ways  of  Castile. 

To-day  Barcelona  is  far  in  advance  of  any  other  city 
of  Spain.  I  felt  I  was  once  more  in  Europe  when  the 
comfortable  hotel  'bus  rattled  along  through  the  well- 
lit  streets.  Perhaps  I  was  getting  tired  of  life  in  the  Mid- 
dle Ages,  and  was  obsessed  with  Mediaeval  cities!  At 
any  rate,  a  clean  bed  in  a  modern  hotel  was  a  luxury  I 
thoroughly  appreciated,  and  I  started  the  next  morning 
to  explore,  with  a  mind  at  ease  and  a  consciousness  that 
there  would  be  no  irritating  little  pin-pricks,  no  manana 
for  a  couple  of  weeks  at  least. 

The  Cathedral  stands  on  the  site  of  a  Pagan  Church 
converted  by  the  Moors  into  a  Mosque.  The  present 
edifice  replaced  the  Christian  Church  which  superseded 
this  Mosque,  and  was  begun  in  1298.  The  crypt  was 
finished  in   1339  and  the  cloisters  in   1388.     The  west 

[132] 


5  5 

■»  It 

1  1      ■> 


,  1       1    ':>    J 


1 


SK^Sif.n 


—■rf"'*' 


BAltCELUxNA. 

T//C'   Rdiitbla. 


c  <■    «    c, 


BARCELONA 

fagade  was  covered  with  scaffolding  while  I  was  there, 
and  so  may  perhaps  be  completed  in  another  thirty  years. 

The  interior  of  this  splendid  Gothic  church  is  very 
dark.  The  pointed  windows  are  all  filled  with  magnifi- 
cent fifteenth-century  glass.  At  the  sunset  hour,  when  the 
rays  of  light  strike  low  and  filter  through  the  many  col- 
ours of  these  windows,  the  effect  in  the  gloom  of  this 
solemn  building  is  most  beautiful.  As  the  orb  of  day 
sinks  lower  and  lower  the  light  lingers  on  column  after 
column  right  up  the  lofty  nave  to  the  High  Altar  until 
he  suddenly  disappears,  and  all  within  is  wrapt  in  deep 
twilight. 

The  nave  is  very  narrow  and  very  high.  The  clus- 
tered columns  seem  to  disappear  into  space,  and  the 
vaulting  is  almost  lost  in  the  darkness.  There  are  deep 
galleries  over  the  side  chapels  in  the  aisles,  which  have 
a  rather  curious  arrangement  of  vaulting.  From  the  roof 
of  the  aisles  at  each  bay  depend  massive  circular  lamps 
which  catch  the  light  and  heighten  the  effect  of  mystery 
which  is  omnipresent  throughout  the  Cathedral. 

A  flight  of  steps  in  front  of  the  High  Altar — an  almost 
unique  feature — leads  down  to  the  crypt,  where  rests  the 
body  of  Santa  Eulalia,  Barcelona's  patron  saint.  Her 
alabaster  shrine  is  adorned  with  reliefs  of  different  inci- 
dents in  her  life. 

The  retablo  of  the  High  Altar  is  richly  ornate  with 

[135] 


CATHEDRAL   CITIES   OF   SPAIN 

tapering  Gothic  finials  of  the  fifteenth  century;  below  it 
is  a  sarcophagus  containing  the  remains  of  St.  Severus. 

Above  the  Gothic  silleria  del  coro  hang  the  coats-of- 
arms  of  the  Knights  of  the  Golden  Fleece.  Among  them 
are  those  of  Henry  VIII.  of  England.  The  only  in- 
stallation of  the  Order  was  held  here  by  Charles  V. 

The  side  chapels  contain  very  little  of  interest,  but  the 
cloisters  are  otherwise.  Entered  either  from  the  street 
or  the  south  door  of  the  Cathedral  their  beauty  is  very 
striking.  In  the  centre  palms  and  orange  trees  rear 
their  heads,  and  the  splash  of  the  fountains,  in  one  of 
which  the  sacred  geese  are  kept,  is  refreshingly  cool  after 
the  bustle  of  streets  outside. 

San  Pablo  del  Campo,  now  a  barrack,  is  the  most 
interesting  of  Barcelona's  ecclesiastical  remains.  This 
church,  built  by  Wilfred  II.  in  913,  is  more  like  the 
ancient  churches  of  Galicia  than  those  of  Catalonia. 
Very  small  and  cruciform,  a  solid  dome  rises  from  the 
centre.  Its  cloisters  are  perfect,  the  arcading  is  com- 
posed of  double  shafts  with  well-cut  figures  on  the 
capitals. 

The  peculiarity  of  Catalonia's  churches  is  well  illus- 
trated in  the  aisleless  Santa  Maria  del  Mar,  San  Just, 
and  Santa  Maria  del  Pi.  The  first  named  has  some  mag- 
nificent glass  and  four  good  pictures  by  Viladomat,  and 
in  the  crypt  beneath  the  High  Altar  a  curious  wooden 

[  136  ] 


BARCELONA 

figure  of  San  Alajo.  San  Just  has  the  belfry  common  to 
the  churches  of  Catalonia,  an  open  iron-work  screen, 
from  which  depend  the  bells,  and  Santa  Maria  del  Pi 
contains  a  fine  wheel  window  and  more  magnificent 
glass. 

A  relic  of  Loyola,  the  sword  that  he  offered  on  the 
Altar  of  the  Virgin  at  Montserrat,  is  still  preserved  in 
the  old  Jesuit  Church  of  Nuestra  Senora  de  Belen. 

Among  the  many  notable  buildings  in  Barcelona  is  the 
Casa  Consistorial,  or  Town  Hall.  It  was  built  in  1378, 
and  has  a  very  original  Gothic  front.  A  beautiful  patio 
with  slender  arches  and  twisted  columns  adds  to  the  in- 
terest of  the  interior. 

The  Casa  de  la  Diputacion  opposite  contains  the  pic- 
ture on  which  Fortuny  was  at  work  when  he  died.  The 
patio  here  is  perhaps  better  than  that  in  the  Casa  Con- 
sistorial. It  is  in  three  stages,  from  the  topmost  of 
which  huge  gargoyles  of  all  sorts  of  devils  and  monsters 
rear  their  ugly  heads. 

In  the  old  quarters  of  the  city,  where  the  five-  and  six- 
storied  houses  almost  touch,  the  streets  are  very  tor- 
tuous and  not  considered  safe  at  night. 

In  this  respect,  however,  Barcelona  does  not  stand 
alone.  Any  one  who  ventures  into  the  low  parts  of  a 
Mediterranean  seaport  after  dusk  generally  does  so  at 
his  own  risk.     Very  few  brawls  commence  among  the 


CATHEDRAL   CITIES   OF    SPAIN 

hot-blooded  lower  orders  of  the  south  without  the  finale 
of  the  knife. 

By  far  the  most  interesting  suburb  of  the  city  is  Bar- 
celoneta.  This  self-contained  town  is  entirely  given  up 
to  the  fisherfolk  and  seafaring  portion  of  Barcelona's 
inhabitants.  Philip  V.,  when  planning  his  citadel,  now 
demolished,  turned  out  the  people  who  dwelt  where  he 
afterwards  erected  it.  To  compensate  them  for  loss  of 
home  and  property,  he  built  this  well-planned  and  well- 
paved  suburb  out  along  the  coast  to  the  north-east.  With 
the  breeze  coming  in  every  afternoon  of]f  the  sea  my 
favourite  walk  was  through  the  park  to  Barceloneta. 
Of  all  the  seaports  I  know,  Naples  not  excepted,  though 
the  Sta.  Lucia  of  five-and-twenty  years  ago  might  have 
beaten  it,  the  harbour  front  of  Barceloneta  is  without 
an  equal.  Here  one  may  watch  the  boat-builders  at 
work  under  the  oddest  roofs  imaginable,  carpenters  busy 
with  the  shaping  of  masts  and  oars,  and  ship's  painters 
putting  the  finishing  touches  to  boat  accessories.  I  used 
to  stand  awhile  admiring  the  inventive  turn  displayed  on. 
the  exterior  embellishments  of  the  marine-dealers'  stores. 
Wonderful  pictures,  of  ships  that  could  never  float,  from 
brushes  wielded  by  very  local  talent  in  glaring  vermilion 
and  green.  I  watched  the  holiday-makers  sitting  in  ram- 
shackle booths,  rapidly  putting  away  all  sorts  of  curiosi- 
ties of  the  shell-fish  order,  and  I  wondered  if  they  would 

[138] 


BARCELONA. 

In    ilw  Cothcciral. 


BARCELONA 

survive  the  day.  Perhaps  the  copious  draughts  of  wine 
they  took  was  an  antidote,  at  any  rate  their  laughter  and 
good-humour  gave  point  to  my  unspoken  thought — "  let 
us  eat  and  drink,  for  to-morrow  we  die." 

Going  on,  I  often  spent  some  time  comparing  the 
drill  of  artillery  recruits,  whose  instructors  marched 
them  up  and  down  on  a  quiet  bit  of  the  roadway,  with 
those  at  home,  and  I  generally  finished  my  walk  and  sat 
me  down  on  the  glorious  stretch  of  sand  that  runs  away 
north  as  far  as  the  eye  can  follow.  The  evening  would 
then  draw  in,  and  the  twinkling  lights  on  the  ships  in  the 
harbour  warn  me  it  was  time  to  return.  While  twilight 
lasted  I  retraced  my  steps  homewards  along  the  quay- 
side, invigorated  by  an  afternoon  of  sea  breeze  and  salt 
spray. 

The  focus  of  Barcelona's  life  is  the  celebrated  Rambla. 
The  derivation  of  this  word  is  Arabic — "  Raml-sand  " — 
a  river  bed,  for  a  small  stream  at  one  time  meandered 
down  to  the  sea  where  now  is  the  liveliest  street  in  the 
north  of  Spain. 

On  either  side  of  the  central  promenade,  under  the 
shade  of  stately  plane  trees,  are  the  carriage  drives.  The 
broad  walk  itself  is  thronged,  especially  in  the  morning 
when  marketing  is  done,  with  an  ever-changing  crowd. 
Boys  distribute  hand-bills,  dog-fanciers  stroll  about  bar- 
gaining with  dealers,  itinerant  merchants  cry  their  wares. 
A  family  of  father,  mother,  and  children  cross  the  stream 

[141] 


CATHEDRAL   CITIES   OF   SPAIN 

of  promenaders,  followed  by  a  pet  lamb.    Acquaintances 
meet  and  gossip  away  a  good  ten  minutes. 

At  the  top  end  of  the  Rambla  are  situated  the  stalls 
of  the  bird  sellers,  who  also  deal  in  mice;  a  great  place 
this  for  mama  and  her  small  daughters.  Lower  down, 
the  flower  sellers  congregate  under  their  red-striped  um- 
brellas. It  was  here  that  I  made  my  sketch,  in  which 
luckily,  for  a  bit  of  colour,  I  was  able  to  include  the  blue- 
bloused  porters  in  their  red  caps  who  wait  about  for  a 
job  with  the  rope  of  their  calling  slung  over  their  shoul- 
ders. Here  too  all  the  odd  job  men  stand  awaiting  hire. 
House  painters  in  white  blouses  with  ensignia  of  their 
trade — a  whitewash  brush  on  the  end  of  a  pole — held 
high,  and  others — an  endless  variety. 

Barcelona,  being  a  business  town,  is  democratic  to  the 
core;  it  is  also  to  the  core,  Catalan.  The  names  of  streets 
are  displayed  in  Catalan  as  well  as  Spanish.  The  ani- 
mals in  the  Zoological  Gardens  also  are  known  by  their 
Catalan,  and  Castilian  as  well  as  Latin  names!  Barce- 
lona will  have  no  dealings  with  Castile,  its  people  speak 
their  own  language  and  address  the  foreigner  in  French. 
Barcelona  is  go-ahead.  In  the  houses  of  the  new  suburbs 
I'art  nouveau  screams  at  one,  and  everything  is  up-to- 
date! 

The  Spaniard  is  well-known  to  be  lazy,  not  so  the 
Catalan.  I  have  never  seen  a  Spaniard  running,  but  I 
have  seen  a  Catalan  walking  fast! 

[142] 


Olljapter  Wm 

GERONA 

^^^^^HE  siege  of  Gerona  is  as  celebrated  in  the 
m  C\  Spanish  history  of  the  Napoleonic  wars  as 
^^^^  that  of  Saragossa.  Both  exemplify  the  brav- 
ery and  tenacity  of  the  Spaniard  of  the  north. 
In  the  first  siege  in  1808,  three  hundred  men  of  the  Ulster 
Regiment,  under  their  gallant  leader  O'Daly,  helped  to 
garrison  the  place  against  two  ferocious  attacks  by  Du- 
chesne and  his  French  soldiery.  The  first  failed  and  the 
second  ended  in  the  utter  rout  of  the  besiegers  with  the 
loss  of  all  the  artillery  and  baggage  train. 

In  the  following  year  three  French  generals  with  an 
army  of  thirty  thousand  men  invested  the  city.  Alvarez, 
the  Spanish  Governor,  was  almost  without  any  means 
of  defence,  and  the  women  of  Gerona  enrolled  them- 
selves under  the  banner  of  Santa  Barbara,  the  patron 
saint  of  Spain's  artillery,  and  took  their  places  on  the 
ramparts  side  by  side  with  their  husbands  and  sweet- 
hearts. Alvarez,  ably  seconded  by  a  few  English  under 
Marshall,  held  out  until  he  was  struck  down  by  disease 

[143] 


CATHEDRAL   CITIES   OF   SPAIN 

and  death.    The  city  then,  without  a  leader,  its  inhabi- 
tants starving,  at  length  surrendered. 

So  ancient  is  Gerona  that  its  early  history  is  lost  in 
the  mist  of  ages.  Charlemagne  drove  the  Moors  out 
when  they  were  in  possession,  but  it  soon  passed  back 
into  their  hands  again.  The  Counts  of  Barcelona  ruled 
over  the  place  until  the  union  of  Catalonia  and  Aragon, 
an  event  which  gave  birth  to  the  Crown  Prince's  title  of 
Principe  de  Gerona.  Hence  we  know  that  in  the  twelfth 
century  it  was  a  city  of  great  importance.  In  conse- 
quence of  its  adhesion,  at  the  end  of  the  War  of  Succes- 
sion, to  the  house  of  Hapsburg,  Gerona  was  deprived  of 
its  privileges  and  university,  since  which  time  it  has 
steadily  gone  down  hill. 

Down  hill  it  may  have  proceeded,  but  I  found  it  a 
very  pleasant,  quaint  old-world  city  set  in  the  midst  of 
verdant  hills  and  running  waters.  Shady  walks  are  tak- 
ing the  place  of  now  useless  fortifications;  and  have  not 
I  sat  in  one  of  the  most  delightful  rose  gardens  you  could 
wish  to  rest  in,  and  heard  the  note  of  the  nightingale 
trilling  on  the  perfumed  air?  Most  of  Spain  has  gone 
down  hill,  and  most  of  Spain  is  nothing  but  enchanting. 

Gerona  is  bisected  by  the  river  Onar,  and  from  its 
waters  which  wash  them,  the  houses  rise  tier  above  tier 
up  the  hill  side.  In  the  summer  when  the  river  is  run- 
ning low,  and  if  it  happen  to  be  a  Saturday,  you  will  see 

[  144  ] 


Ill        1 


GERONA 

one  of  the  most  remarkable  sights  that  Spain  can  boast 
of.  Under  and  around  the  arches  of  the  old  bridge  are 
congregated  hundreds  of  brown  and  fawn-coloured  cat- 
tle. The  background  of  ancient  houses,  yellow,  grey, 
white,  brown — every  tone  rises  up  above  this  throng.  Col- 
oured garments,  the  week's  washing,  flutter  in  the  breeze, 
green  shutters  and  blinds  hang  from  the  creeper-clad 
balconies. 

It  is  market  day.  The  lowing  of  oxen,  mingled  with 
the  hum  of  bargaining  humanity  in  red  caps  and  Prus- 
sian-blue blouses,  surges  up  like  the  sound  of  breakers 
on  a  distant  shore.  You  who  enter  Spain  by  the  east 
route,  go  to  Gerona  at  the  end  of  the  week — you  will 
never  regret  its  Saturday  market. 

The  Cathedral  stands  well.  The  west  fagade,  a  Re- 
naissance addition,  is  approached  from  the  Plaza  below 
by  a  grand  flight  of  ninety  steps  in  three  tiers.  In  the 
unfinished  jambs  of  the  south  door  are  a  series  of  in- 
teresting terra-cotta  figures  dating  from  1458. 

There  is  nothing  else  in  the  exterior  worthy  of  note, 
but  directly  I  entered  I  stopped  in  amazement  at  the 
daring  of  the  architect  who  could  build  so  enormous  a 
span  as  that  under  which  I  found  myself.  This  span  is 
seventy-three  feet,  the  clear  width  of  the  nave,  and  un- 
supported by  any  pillars.  No  flying  buttresses  outside 
give  additional  strength  to  the  thrust  of  the  roof.     The 

.    [147] 


CATHEDRAL   CITIES   OF   SPAIN 

stonework  is  perfect  and  the  vaulting  inside  simple.  So 
bold  and  hazardous  were  the  plans  of  Guillermo  Bofify 
that  the  chapter  at  first  refused  to  sanction  them.  Being 
in  doubts  as  to  his  sanity,  they  sought  the  opinion  of 
twelve  other  architects,  who  were  examined  separately. 
As  they  all  approved  and  passed  Boffy's  plans,  the  con- 
struction of  this  marvel  was  commenced,  and  the  first 
stone  laid  in  1416. 

The  apsidal  chancel  had  been  begun  a  century  earlier 
and  finished  in  1346,  pretty  much  on  the  same  lines  as 
this  part  of  Barcelona's  Cathedral. 

Unfortunately — how  often  does  one  have  to  acknowl- 
edge this! — the  coro,  with  its  hideous  respaldos^  painted 
to  imitate  Gothic  arches  in  perspective,  almost  ruins  this 
splendid  and  solemn  interior.  Among  the  seats  of  the 
silleria  del  coro  there  are  still  preserved  some  that  date 
from  the  fourteenth  century. 

Early  carved  work  of  the  same  period  is  found  in  the 
elaborate  retablo  over  the  High  Altar,  which  is  sur- 
mounted by  three  fine  processional  crosses.  The  balda- 
quino,  also  of  wood,  is  covered  like  the  retablo  with 
plates  of  silver.  It  is  a  mass  of  precious  metal,  enam- 
elled coats-of-arms  and  gems,  and  is  an  extremely  inter- 
esting relic  of  that  century. 

Over  the  sacristy  door  are  the  tombs  of  Count  Ramon 
Berenguer  II.  and  his  wife  Ermensendis,  who  died  in 

[148] 


•>'  T     t  ^ 


,    ;  ,'  1  '  ■«  ' 

'  '    '         '  '     '    >       »  5     ,  )   '       )    \  1        > 


GERONA. 

The  Cathedral. 


GERONA 

1058,  predeceasing  her  husband  by  twenty-four  years. 
The  sacristy  itself  contains  a  remarkable  piece  of  twelfth- 
century  crewel  work,  said  to  be  the  earliest  known  speci- 
men in  existence.  It  is  covered  with  figures  of  a  type 
similar  to  those  of  contemporary  MSS.  The  Roman- 
esque cloisters  form  an  irregular  trapezium.  The  col- 
umns are  doubled  and  about  a  foot  apart,  not  unlike  those 
of  Tarragona. 

The  finest  Romanesque  example  that  Gerona  possesses 
is  the  church  of  San  Pedro  de  los  Galligans.  The  apse, 
little  damaged  during  the  siege,  forms  a  tower  in  the 
town  wall.  There  is  no  doubt  of  the  great  antiquity  of 
this  building,  which  dates  probably  from  the  early  part 
of  the  tenth  century.  The  east  end  is  mostly  constructed 
of  black  volcanic  scoriae.  The  nave  and  aisles,  the  bays 
of  which  are  very  simply  built,  are  almost  prehistoric  in 
their  roughness. 

In  the  cloisters  attached  to  the  church  is  the  Museo 
Provincial.  Many  relics  of  Gerona's  heroic  defence  can 
here  be  seen,  as  well  as  some  early  Christian  and  Hebrew 
remains. 


[151] 


TOLEDO 

'TANDING  high  above  the  yellow  Tagus, 
which,  confined  in  a  deep  gorge,  rushes  and 
swirls  far  below  between  precipitous  granite 
cliffs,  Toledo  was  always  an  ideal  position  for 
a  fortress  before  modern  firearms  rendered  Nature's  de- 
fences of  little  avail. 

Its  name  is  associated  with  the  great  Cardinals  of  the 
Rodrigo,  Tenorio,  and  Foncesca  families,  as  well  as 
scions  of  the  houses  of  Ximenes,  Mendoza,  Tavera,  and 
Lorenzana.  The  wealth  of  these  prelates  was  immense, 
and  their  power.  Ecclesiastical  and  Temporal,  propor- 
tionate. They  practically  had  no  rivals,  they  certainly 
feared  none,  they  ruled  kings  as  well  as  countries,  and 
their  allegiance  to  Rome  was  purely  nominal.  They 
made  wars  and  fought  in  them.  For  their  patronage  of 
art  and  literature  future  generations  have  had  good  cause 
to  be  grateful.  They  built  schools  and  improved  the 
means  of  communication  throughout  the  land.  Under 
their  influence  the  Church  was  omnipotent,  and  they 

[152] 


TOLEDO 

have  written  their  names  deep  in  the  pages  of  Spanish 
history.  In  fact,  so  great  was  the  power  of  Toledo's 
clergy  that  it  grew  to  be  the  cause  of  the  foundation  of 
the  Capital  at  Madrid.  Philip  II.,  who  removed  the 
Court  from  Valladolid  to  Toledo,  found  it  better,  after 
a  short  residence  here,  to  take  himself  and  his  Court  to 
a  town  where  he  no  longer  encountered  the  arrogance 
of  Ecclesiastical  rule. 

Under  the  Romans,  who  captured  it  in  193  B.c.^  "Tole- 
tum"  became  the  capital  of  Hispania.  Leovigild  re- 
moved hither  from  Seville,  and  his  successor,  Reccared, 
who  embraced  the  orthodox  form  of  Christianity,  made 
it  the  ecclesiastical  as  well  as  political  capital  of  his 
dominions. 

For  nearly  four  centuries,  from  712,  when  the  Moors 
took  Toledo,  it  was  under  their  rule;  but  divided  coun- 
sels and  the  treachery  of  the  down-trodden  Hebrew  en- 
abled Alfonso  VI.  to  enter  in  triumph  with  the  Cid.  The 
King  then  styled  himself  Emperor,  and  promoted  the 
Archbishop  to  the  Primacy  of  Spain.  Under  Alfonso's 
rule  the  city  grew  rapidly  in  every  way.  Churches  and 
convents  were  built,  defences  strengthened,  and  Toledo' 
knew  no  rival. 

With  far-seeing  wisdom,  Moor  and  Christian  were 
allowed  to  intermarry,  and  lived  together  in  peace  for 
wellnigh  one  hundred  and  fifty  years.     The  advent  in 

[  IS3  ] 


CATHEDRAL   CITIES   OF   SPAIN 

1227  of  that  ecclesiastical  firebrand,  St.  Ferdinand,  how- 
ever, altered  this.  One  of  his  first  acts  was  to  pull  down 
the  Mosque,  wherein  the  Moors  of  the  city,  by  Alfonso's 
royal  prerogative,  had  been  allowed  to  worship,  and 
commence  the  building  on  its  site  of  the  great  Cathedral. 

For  two  hundred  years  and  more  did  the  architects 
who  followed  Pedro  Perez  add  bit  by  bit,  leaving  their 
mark  on  its  stones.  Partly  constructed  of  granite  it  is 
immensely  strong.  A  softer  stone  has  been  used  with 
great  discretion  in  the  decorative  portions  of  the  build- 
ing. 

No  comprehensive  view  of  the  Cathedral  is  obtain- 
able, so  closely  do  the  houses  surround  it  on  the  south 
and  east,  and  creep  up  the  hill  on  which  it  is  built,  on 
the  north.  The  west  front  is  best  seen  from  the  Plaza 
Ayuntamiento,  a  pleasant  little  garden  which  the  Town 
Hall  bounds  on  one  side.  I  managed  a  sketch  from  the 
narrow  street  below  this  garden. 

Only  one  of  the  two  towers  of  the  west  fagade  Is  fin- 
ished as  originally  intended.  The  other  is  capped  by  a 
dome,  designed  by  El  Greco,  that  painter  of  the  weird, 
and  under  which  is  the  chapel  wherein  the  Mozarabic 
ritual  is  celebrated  daily  at  9  A.M. 

The  great  west  door.  La  Puerta  del  Perdon,  is  enriched 
with  embossed  bronze  work.  Flanking  it  on  either  side 
are  the  doors  of  Las  Palmas,  and  de  los  Escribanos.  The 

[154] 


1       1 

11     1     i»       11  i>i 


1      1       1111^1     11,1     1 

111     11    ,'•;•'> 

1 '  1     1  ' '  \   ' '  •,  '  'i » 

111111     '  1 '  1  1  1    1 


WJ 


..v 


.,^-j^MRi*!.'' 


•••V 


TOLKDO. 
T/!C  Ala'nttai-a  Bvidsre. 


TOLEDO 

arches  of  all  three  have  figures  in  the  jambs,  which  are 
continued  round  each  arch  in  the  very  best  Gothic  of  the 
fifteenth  century.  Above  the  doors  the  fagade  is  adorned 
with  a  sculptured  Last  Supper  and  colossal  figures  in 
niches.  In  the  centre  is  a  splendid  rose  window  twenty- 
eight  feet  in  diameter. 

The  north  transept  is  entered  from  the  steep  Calle  de 
la  Chapineria  by  La  Puerta  del  Reloj,  the  oldest  door- 
way of  the  Cathedral.  Its  bronze  doors,  of  later  date 
than  the  doorway,  were  cast  to  match  those  of  La  Puerta 
de  los  Leones  in  the  south  transept.  This  doorway's 
name  is  derived  from  the  Lions,  which  holding  shields, 
occupy  positions  on  its  pillars.  Another  entrance  is 
through  La  Puerta  de  la  Presentacion  which  opens  on 
the  cloisters. 

The  effect  produced  by  the  magnificent  interior  is 
much  enhanced  by  the  beauty  of  the  glass  which  fills 
most  of  the  windows.  The  earliest  are  on  the  north  side 
of  the  nave,  and  form  a  series  which  was  commenced  in 
141 8  and  finished  one  hundred  and  fifty  years  later.  The 
glass  in  the  rose  window  over  the  west  door  is  superb, 
and  the  same  may  be  said  for  that  in  the  north  transept 
and  the  wheel  window  over  La  Puerta  de  los  Leones. 

There  is  no  triforium,  and  the  transepts  do  not  project 
beyond  the  nave.  The  arches  of  the  very  beautiful  chan- 
cel serve  as  niches  for  figures.    Here  in  each  bay  is  a  rose 

[157] 


CATHEDRAL   CITIES   OF   SPAIN 

window  forming  a  clerestory,  and  the  colours  in  the  glass 
of  these  shine  like  jewels  in  a  crown. 

There  are  in  all  twenty  chapels,  every  one  of  which 
contains  something  worth  study.  The  lofty  retablo  in 
the  Capilla  Mayor  is  of  the  richest  Gothic.  Above  is  a 
colossal  Calvary  of  later  workmanship.  Cardinal  Xi- 
menes  built  this  chapel,  among  the  many  monuments  of 
which  are  the  tombs  of  Spain's  earliest  kings.  Separat- 
ing it  from  the  crucero  is  a  magnificent  Plateresque  re]a, 
an  either  side  of  which  stands  a  gilded  pulpit. 

Behind  the  retablo  is  the  transparente,  much  admired 
by  Toledans,  but  the  one  jarring  note  in  the  finest  of 
Spain's  Cathedrals.  This  theatrical  mass  of  marble  fig- 
ures, in  the  midst  of  which  the  Archangel  Rafael  kicks 
his  feet  high  in  the  air  and  squeezes  a  gold  fish  in  one 
hand!  is  lit  from  a  window  let  into  the  roof  of  the 
apse. 

The  Capilla  de  Reyes  Nuevos  contains  the  tombs  of 
the  kings  descended  from  Henry  II.  His  tomb  and  that 
of  his  wife,  as  well  as  the  spouse  of  Henry  III.,  a  daugh- 
ter of  John  of  Gaunt,  Duke  of  Lancaster,  are  among  the 
many  that  crowd  the  walls. 

The  Capilla  de  San  Ildefonso  is  an  extremely  beauti- 
ful example  of  early  Gothic  work.  The  much-mutilated 
tomb  in  the  centre  of  Cardinal  Albornoz  is  a  masterpiece 
of  the  same  style.    Many  other  great  Ecclesiastics  rest  in 


1       » 

1      1    l ,    »    1   1        1 

1     ,   1 '   »   1     >    » 


TOLEDO 

this  elegant  octagon,  notably  Inigo  de  Mendoza,  Viceroy 
of  Sardinia,  who  was  killed  at  the  siege  of  Granada. 

The  Capilla  de  Santiago  was  erected  in  1435  by  Al- 
varo  de  Luna,  the  man  who  saved  Spain  for  Juan  IL 
by  repressing  the  turbulent  nobles,  and  who  for  his  fidel- 
ity was  rewarded  by  disgrace  and  execution  in  the  Plaza 
Mayor  at  Valladolid.  The  scallop  shells  which  decorate 
the  walls  represent  de  Luna's  office  of  Grand  Master  of 
the  Order  of  Santiago. 

Cardinal  Ximenes  re-established  the  Mozarabic 
Ritual,  which  is  celebrated  in  the  Capilla  Mozarabe,  as 
a  reminder  to  the  Pope  that  Spain  did  not  owe  implicit 
allegiance  to  Rome. 

The  small  detached  Capilla  de  la  Descension  de  Nues- 
tra  Senora  stands  against  the  second  pier  in  the  north 
aisle.  It  marks  the  spot  where  the  Virgin  came  down 
and  presented  San  Ildefonso  with  the  casulla  or  chaus- 
able. 

The  Salle  Capitular  is  a  grand  example  of  early  six- 
teenth-century work,  with  a  Plateresque  frieze  and  gilt 
artesonado  ceiling  by  Francisco  de  Lara.  It  contains  a 
series  of  portraits  of  the  Cardinal  Archbishops  of  Toledo, 
and  frescoes  by  Juan  de  Borgona.  The  work  of  this 
painter  is  to  be  met  with  throughout  the  Cathedral. 

The  coro  occupies  two  bays  of  the  nave  and  is  a  veri- 
table museum  of  carving  and  sculpture.    Its  silleria  are 

[  161  ] 


CATHEDRAL   CITIES   OF   SPAIN 

in  two  rows.  The  lower  is  of  walnut  and  enriched  with 
scenes  representing  the  campaigns  of  Ferdinand  and  Isa- 
bella. The  upper  of  the  same  wood  is  a  perfect  classical 
contrast  and  is  inlaid,  not  carved.  Berruguete,  whose 
work  may  be  best  studied  in  Valladolid,  executed  the 
seats  on  the  south  side,  and  Vigarney  those  on  the  north. 
A  small  figure  of  the  Virgin  in  blackened  stone  looks 
really  ancient.  It  stands  in  the  middle  of  the  coro  on  a 
pedestal.  Nicolas  de  Vergara  was  responsible  for  the 
two  reading  desks  which  are  masterpieces  of  gilded  metal 
work. 

The  Gothic  cloisters  enclose  a  delightful  garden,  and 
have  an  upper  cloister  reached  by  a  door  in  the  Arch- 
bishop's Palace.  From  this  pleasant  claustro  alto  a  very 
good  idea  of  the  size  of  the  Cathedral  is  obtained. 

Space  does  not  permit  me  to  enlarge  on  the  manifold 
works  of  art  which  this  noble  building  contains.  The  pic- 
tures, the  iron  work — though  I  must  just  mention  a  beau- 
tifully fanciful  knocker  of  two  nude  nymphs  hanging 
downwards  from  the  head  of  a  satyr  whose  hands  clasped 
together  form  the  handle,  which  adorns  La  Puerta  de  la 
Presentacion — the  scuplture,  notably  that  on  the  res- 
paldo,  or  outer  wall  of  the  coro,  and  the  many  relics  in 
the  Treasury,  would  all  occupy  more  than  I  can  afford. 
Suffice  it  to  say  that  nowhere  in  Spain  is  there  a  Gothic 
building  of  such  well-proportioned  dimensions.     Such 

[162] 


TO  I.  K  DO. 
The  Sou  111   Transept. 


TOLEDO 

simplicity  in  its  leading  features,  such  a  fine  idea  in  the 
interior  of  the  spacing  out  of  light  and  shade,  as  in  this 
magnificent  Cathedral — the  grandest  of  the  three  due  to 
French  influence. 

And  Toledo's  churches?  There  are  nearly  sixty  still 
remaining,  every  street  seems  to  contain  one!  And  To- 
ledo's convents?  There  are  almost  as  many.  Of  the 
former,  San  Juan  de  los  Reyes,  on  the  high  ground  above 
the  bridge  of  Saint  Martin,  the  last  remnant  left  of  a 
once  wealthy  Franciscan  convent,  was  built  by  Cardinal 
Ximenes  in  commemoration  of  the  "Catholic  Kings" 
victory  of  Toro.  On  its  outer  walls  still  hang  the  mana- 
cles and  chains  of  the  captive  Christians  who  were  set 
free  at  the  conquest  of  Granada,  and  the  interior  is  em- 
bellished with  the  arms  of  Ferdinand  and  Isabella,  and 
covered  with  sculptured  heraldry. 

Santa  Maria  la  Blanca,  originally  a  Jewish  synagogue, 
is  in  the  Mudejar  style,  and  has^  some  charming  ara- 
besques, with  a  fine  cedar  ceiling  said  to  be  of  wood  from 
the  trees  at  Lebanon.  Almost  opposite — we  are  in  the 
Juderia,  or  Jews'  quarter,  to  the  south-east  of  San  Juan 
de  los  Reyes — is  another  synagogue,  el  Transito.  Built  in 
1366  by  Samuel  Levi,  Pedro  the  Cruel's  treasurer,  in  the 
Moorish  style,  it  is  almost  a  better  piece  of  architecture 
than  Santa  Maria  la  Blanca.  Levi  lived  next  door,  in 
the  house  known  now  as  La  Casa  del  Greco,  that  painter 

[165] 


CATHEDRAL   CITIES   OF   SPAIN 

having  occupied  it  during  his  residence  in  Toledo.  The 
house  and  synagogue  are  connected  by  a  secret  passage 
from  the  vaults  of  the  former.  These  are  of  immense  size 
and  strength,  and  in  Levi's  day  held  an  enormous  amount 
of  treasure.  Too  much  for  the  poor  man's  good.  His 
royal  master,  when  sufficient  was  accumulated,  put  him 
to  death  and  appropriated  all  he  could  find. 

El  Cristo  de  la  Luz,  one  of  the  most  interesting 
churches  in  Toledo,  was  originally  a  tiny  mosque.  It  is 
divided  into  nine  different  compartments  by  four  col- 
umns, from  the  capitals  of  which  spring  sixteen  acches. 
It  was  here  that  Alfonso  VI.  attended  the  first  Mass  after 
the  city  was  captured.  Close  by  is  the  Convent  of  San 
Domingo  el  Real,  where  a  glimpse  may  be  had  of  pic- 
turesque nuns  while  at  their  devotions  during  early 
service. 

As  the  station  'bus  rattled  up  the  steep  winding  ascent 
to  the  Despacho  Central  we  dashed  through  the  Zoco- 
dover,  the  square  celebrated  for  numerous  auto  de  fes 
and  other  executions.  All  day  long  it  is  crowded  with 
sauntering  folk,  who  walk  up  and  down,  quietly  enough 
now,  on  the  scene  of  much  former  cruelty,  bloodshed,  and 
many  bull-fights. 

On  its  eastern  side  a  fine  Moorish  arch  leads  down 
the  hill  by  a  footpath  to  the  Bridge  of  Alcantara.  Imme- 
diately the  arch  is  passed  on  the  left  lies  the  old  Hos- 

[i66] 


J         5      5,'''  ' 

5         5,1)555 
5         ,5%  55         55 


TOLEDO. 

Tlie  Cathedral. 


TOLEDO 

pital  de  Santa  Cruz.  It  is  one  of  the  best  examples  of  the 
Transition  to  Renaissance  in  Spain.  The  portal  is  deeply 
undercut  and  elaborately  carved  in  soft  "white  rose" 
stone  and  marble.  The  inner  gate  is  plateresque  and  only 
surpassed  by  San  Marcos  at  Leon  and  the  gateway  of  the 
university  at  Salamanca.  Cardinal  Mendoza's  arms 
adorn  the  beautiful  patio,  which  has  a  double  arcade  of 
great  elegance,  and  the  stone  work  on  the  balustrade  of 
the  staircase  leading  out  of  this  is  very  fine.  Opposite, 
on  the  other  side  of  this  steep  descent,  are  the  Military 
Governor's  quarters  which  are  dominated  by  the  huge 
Alcazar,  now  the  Military  Academy  for  Infantry  Cadets. 
Destroyed  by  fire  in  1886,  the  present  edifice,  rebuilt 
soon  after,  is  seen  in  the  illustration  of  the  Alcantara 
Bridge  rising  a  great  square  mass  on  the  top  of  the  hill. 
It  was  the  fortress  and  palace  of  Moorish  days.  Alvaro 
de  Luna  had  a  share  in  its  alteration  and  Herrera  com- 
pleted it  to  the  present  size  by  additions  executed  for 
Philip  II.  Many  a  time  has  it  been  sacked  by  the  con- 
querors of  Toledo  and  many  a  prisoner  of  note  passed  his 
last  hours  within  its  gloomy  walls,  before  being  led  out 
to  death  in  the  Zocodover. 

Both  Toledo's  bridges  are  magnificent.  The  Alcan- 
tara, crossed  on  the  way  from  the  station,  has  but  a  couple 
of  arches  which  span  the  mighty  river  at  a  great  height. 
It  is  defended  by  a  gateway  at  either  end,  that  on  the 

[169] 


CATHEDRAL   CITIES   OF   SPAIN 

inner  side  being  the  Moorish  Tower  in  my  sketch.  The 
Bridge  of  Saint  Martin  has  one  arch  of  enormous  span 
with  four  smaller,  which  carry  it  over  the  rushing 
Tagus.  Between  these  two  bridges  from  the  opposite 
bank  of  the  river  one  gets  the  best  idea  of  Toledo's 
strength.  Nothing  in  Spain  surpasses  the  grim  majesty 
of  the  city,  which  rises  above  the  sun-baked  and  wind- 
blistered  crags  that  form  the  gorge  below  through  which 
the  river  has  cut  its  way.  No  spot  could  have  been  better 
chosen  for  defence  than  the  hill  enclosed  in  this  "  horse- 
shoe" of  mad  waters.  Small  wonder  that  within  its  en- 
circling walls  grew  up  a  race  of  Prelates  whose  rule 
spread  far  beyond  the  borders  of  Castile,  and  whose 
powerful  hand  was  felt  in  countries  of  an  alien  tongue. 

Of  the  eight  city  gates  the  most  interesting  is  the 
Puerta  del  Sol,  a  Moorish  structure  with  two  towers 
on  either  side  of  the  horseshoe  arch.  It  is  close  to  the 
little  church  of  el  Cristo  de  la  Luz,  and  from  either  of 
the  towers  a  very  good  idea  is  obtained  of  Toledo's  de- 
fences. Near  the  Puerta  del  Cambon,  another  of  the 
gates,  is  the  site  of  the  old  palace  of  the  last  of  the  Spanish 
Goths,  Roderic,  who  lost  his  life  on  the  banks  of  the 
Guadalete  near  Cadiz  when  giving  battle  to  Tarik  and 
his  Berbers. 

My  whole  impression  of  Toledo  was  that  of  a  city  of 

[170] 


TOLEDO 

gloom.  Its  larger  houses  were  forbidding  In  the  ex- 
treme. In  these  a  huge  portal,  with  armorial  bearings 
and  massive  pillars,  defended  by  a  stout  iron-bound  door, 
opens  into  a  dark  porch  from  which  one  enters  the  patio 
through  an  equally  strong  entrance.  The  windows  that 
look  on  to  the  street  are  heavily  barred  and  none  are 
within  reach  of  the  pedestrian.  Its  streets,  too  narrow 
and  steep  for  vehicular  traffic,  are  as  silent  as  the  grave 
(most  Spaniards  wear  shoes  made  of  esparto  grass  or 
soft  leather),  save  when  a  young  cadet  from  the  Alcazar 
passes  along  rattling  his  sword,  and  attracts  the  attention 
of  the  senoritas  who  sit  high  up  in  those  inaccessible  bal- 
conies. Built  on  the  Moorish  plan,  these  tortuous  thor- 
oughfares twist  and  turn  like  a  maze,  and  it  seemed  to 
me  that  the  sun  never  entered  them. 

Houses  and  streets,  walls  and  towers,  still  remain  as 
they  were  in  the  great  Cardinals'  days,  and  stand  even 
now  as  symbols  of  the  iron  rule  of  the  Church.  The 
Cardinal's  hat  is  to  be  found  graved  in  stone  over  many 
a  door,  and  the  "  Sheaf  of  Arrows,"  the  arms  of  the 
"Catholic  Kings,"  is  still  to  be  seen  over  the  entrance  of 
what  was  once  the  palace  of  Pedro  the  Cruel. 

Toledo  blades  are  still  made  and  proved  in  the  ugly 
factory  a  mile  outside  the  city.  Toledo  ware  (made  in 
Germany)   is  sold  by  most  of  the  shops.     The  growing 

[171] 


CATHEDRAL   CITIES   OF   SPAIN 

trade  in  liquorice  is  a  modern  industry,  but  if  it  were  not 
for  another  recent  innovation,  the  Military  Academy,  it 
would  take  no  stretch  of  the  imagination  to  carry  one 
back  again  into  the  Middle  Ages  and  to  sink  one's  in- 
dividuality and  become  a  human  atom  under  the  rule 
of  the  great  Church. 


[  172  I 


SALAMANCA 

EFORE  I  ever  thought  that  Fate  would  take 

me  to  Spain,  I  had  formed  in  my  mind,  as  one 

is  apt  to  do,   a  Spain  of  my  own,  a  Spain 

of  glorious   romance.     I   had  been  in  many 

cities  throughout  the  country,  but  it  was  not  until  I 

reached    Salamanca    that,    "  Surely,"    thought    I,    "  the 

Spain  of  my  imagination  is  now  realised." 

Here  in  the  middle  of  the  plain,  with  which  one's 
thoughts  are  somehow  familiar,  risesi  the  great  Cathe- 
dral; its  towers  are  landmarks  for  miles  round.  Here  is 
a  beautiful  river  winding  through  valleys  deep  cut  in 
the  ochre-coloured  soil,  its  banks  are  clad  with  verdure 
and  it  is  spanned  by  an  ancient  bridge.  Away  over  the 
plain,  just  visible  in  the  haze,  are  the  blue  mountains  of 
the  south.  In  the  midst  of  all,  the  dull  mud  and  yellow 
walls  of  the  city,  the  many-hued  roofs  of  red  and  brown, 
with  deep  shadows  under  their  eaves,  rise  tier  above  tier 
to  the  Cathedral  above.  And  this,  the  protoype  of 
Spain's  greatness,  her  Church,  the  ever-present  reminder 

[173] 


CATHEDRAL   CITIES   OF   SPAIN 

that  in  days  gone  by  its  princes  led  her  armies  to  victory 
and  placed  her  in  the  van  of  nations. 

I  am  standing  on  the  noble  bridge,  half  of  v^^hich  is 
even  now  as  it  was  in  the  days  of  the  Roman  occupation. 
Those  massive  walls  up  there  of  monasteries  and  con- 
vents always  formed  part  of  the  picture  of  my  imagina- 
tion. They  bake  under  a  September's  sun,  just  as  all 
Spain  ought  to  do.  A  long  string  of  heavily  laden  mules 
trots  past,  their  bells  jingling  merrily,  their  drivers 
shouting  and  cracking  their  whips.  A  well  set-up  peas- 
ant with  his  head  in  a  handkerchief  and  broad-brimmed 
hat,  cut-away  tunic,  red  sash  and  tight  knee  breeches, 
canters  by  seated  on  a  high  peaked  saddle.  His  well- 
bred  horse  shows  a  good  deal  of  the  Arab  strain;  across 
its  quarters  are  a  couple  of  rugs  and  its  rider  carries 
an  umbrella.  A  beggar  stops  before  me,  and  prays  that, 
for  the  love  of  the  Holy  Mary,  I  will  give  him  a  perro 
chico.  Two  wizened  old  cronies  go  by  chattering  about 
Manuelo's  wife.  One  carries  a  couple  of  fowls  tied  to- 
gether by  their  legs,  the  poor  birds  are  doing  their  best 
to  hold  their  heads  in  a  natural  position.  Some  little 
urchins  are  throwing  stones  at  the  washerwomen  by  the 
riverside  below.  An  old  man  seated  on  a  donkey's  rump 
ambles  past.  Yes,  this  is  what  I  imagined  Spain  to  be. 
I  turn  my  steps  towards  the  city.  I  wander  by  the 
Cathedral  and  reach  the  great  university  of  the  Middle 

[174] 


< 
o 

< 

< 

< 


H 


Vcc 


c    c    c  c  c   c 


SALAMANCA 

Ages.  What  would  Salamanca  have  been  without  its 
university!  I  pass  many  fine  houses,  with  coats-of-arms 
emblazoned  over  their  portals.  I  gaze  at  their  high  walls 
and  windows  barred  to  keep  the  intruder  from  the  fair 
sex.  Most  of  them  seem  falling  into  decay,  but  this 
only  adds  to  the  romance.  At  length  I  reach  an  arcaded 
square.  The  columns  of  the  arcades  are  wooden,  they 
are  at  all  sorts  of  angles,  but  the  houses  above  still  stand. 
The  sun  blazes  down  on  scores  of  picturesque  market 
folk,  who  sell  almost  everything  from  peaches  and  fowls 
to  little  tinsel  images  and  double-pronged  hoes.  Dogs 
are  sniffing  about  picking  up  stray  scraps.  Children  run 
in  and  out,  fall  down  and  get  up  laughing.  Every  one  is 
busy.  The  animation  of  this  little  square,  as  I  suddenly 
come  upon  it  out  of  a  deeply  shaded  and  aristocratic 
street,  is  just  the  Spain  I  had  always  thought  of — a  Spain 
of  contrasts.  Brilliant  sun  and  grateful  shade.  Seclu- 
sion behind  high  walls,  and  a  strange  medley  of  noisy 
folk,  for  ever  bargaining,  buying  and  selling.  Certainly 
in  Salamanca  it  is  all  here.  I  hear  the  click  of  the  casta- 
nets and  the  sound  of  the  guitar  in  the  evening,  I  see  the 
ardent  lover  standing  at  those  iron  bars  whispering  soft 
raptures  to  his  mistress,  and  the  picture  is  complete. 

Salamanca  is  a  sleepy  old  city  which  the  world  seems 
to  have  left  behind.  In  the  summer  it  is  a  veritable  fur- 
nace, in  the  winter  it  is  swept  by  icy  blasts.     Before  the 

1^771 


CATHEDRAL   CITIES   OF   SPAIN 

'Christian  era  it  was  known  as.  Salamantia.  Hannibal 
came  and  captured  it  in  B.C.  247  and  under  the  Romans 
it  was  the  ninth  military  station  on  the  great  road  which 
they  built  connecting  Cadiz  and  Merida  with  Astorga 
and  Gijon.  Alfonso  IX.  of  Leon  founded  the  university, 
which  reached  its  zenith  as  a  seat  of  learning  during  the 
sixteenth  century.  Philip  IL,  having  transferred  his 
Court  from  Valladolid  to  Toledo,  made  Salamanca's 
bishop  suffragan  to  that  city's,  since  when  it  seems  to 
have  been  left  out  in  the  cold  and  slowly  but  surely  pro- 
ceeded down  hill.  This  is  the  reason,  I  think,  why  it  at- 
tracted me  so  much.  It  is  essentially  a  city  with  a  Past 
and  of  the  Past.  The  French  under  Thiebaut  pulled  it 
to  pieces  and  used  the  material  from  its  demolished 
buildings  to  fortify  the  place.  This  was  in  181 1.  The 
following  year  saw  Marmont's  troops  utterly  routed  by 
Wellington,  three  miles  south  of  the  fortifications.  It 
was  this  victory  that  gained  him  his  Marquisate  and  a 
grant  from  Parliament  of  £100,000. 

Like  Saragossa,  Salamanca  possesses  two  Cathedrals. 
The  older  intensely  interesting  in  every  way,  the  later,  a 
huge  late  Gothic  pile  begun  in  15 13  and  finished  in 
1733.  This  immense  structure  affords  a  good  study  of 
the  changes  of  architectural  taste  spread  over  the  years 
which  intervened  between  these  two  dates. 

The  west  fagade  is  a  marvel  of  intricate  sculpture  in 

[■78] 


SALAMANCA 

the  richly  coloured  soft  stone  that  has  been  used  as  if  it- 
were  plaster  or  wax.  Late  Gothic  predominates  amidst 
a  deal  of  Plateresque  and  Barroque  ornament.  Despite 
its  incongruities  it  is  extremely  fine,  but  would  look  even 
better  if  some  of  the  numerous  niches  had  not  lost  their 
statues,  and  if  little  boys  did  not  find  a  pastime  in  lodg- 
ing stones  amongst  those  that  are  left,  greatly  I  fear  to. 
their  detriment.  Over  the  double  doorway  are  high  re- 
liefs of  the  Nativity  and  Adoration  of  the  Magi,  a  negro 
prince  being  an  especially  good  figure  in  the  latter  sub- 
ject.   Above  is  a  Crucifixion. 

The  north  porch  is  also  very  fine  and  gains  in  effect,  as 
indeed  doeS  the  whole  of  this  side  of  the  Cathedral,  by 
the  raised  piazza  on  which  it  is  built.  The  approach  is 
up  some  dozen  steps,  the  whole  of  the  piazza  being  sur- 
rounded by  pillars  as  at  Leon  and  Seville. 

Juan  Gil  de  Hontanon,  who  designed  this  and  the  sis- 
ter Cathedral  at  Segovia,  surpassed  himself  with  the 
Great  Tower  and  its  finely  proportioned  dome,  the  top 
of  which  is  360  feet  high.  The  crocketed  pinnacles,  the 
flying  buttresses,  the  dome  over  the  crossing,  and  the 
wonderful  deep  yellow  of  this  huge  church,  whatever 
may  be  one's  opinion  about  the  architecture,  make  it  one 
of  the  most  impressive  of  Spain's  Cathedrals. 

I  was  disappointed  with  the  interior  on  first  acquaint- 
ance, but  it  has  only  to  be  known  to  be  appreciated.    The; 

[  179  ] 


CATHEDRAL   CITIES   OF   SPAIN 

imposing  proportions,  it  is  340  feet  long,  158  feet  wide 
and  close  on  100  feet  high,  gradually  arrested  themselves, 
and  before  I  left  Salamanca  I  was  much  in  love  with 
Hontanon's  masterpiece.  A  pierced  balustrade  takes  the 
place  of  a  triforium,  flamboyant  Renaissance  in  the  aisles 
and  classical  in  nave.  It  runs  round  the  whole  church 
and  in  the  transepts  and  choir  these  two  occur  together. 
Medallions  in  the  spandrils  of  the  arches  add  to  the  rich 
efifect. 

Many  details  in  this  interior  I  found  to  be  worth  a 
second  and  third  visit.  The  Chapel  of  Dorado,  a  veri- 
table museum,  contains  the  tomb  of  the  builder,  Fran- 
cisco de  Palenzuela.  Its  walls  are  covered  with  a  pro- 
fusion of  coloured  saints  on  gilt  pedestals.  There  is  a 
very  curious  old  organ,  standing  at  the  back  of  an  also 
curious  old  minstrel's  gallery.  A  sad-looking  skeleton, 
with  "  Memento  Mori "  cut  on  a  slab  at  his  feet,  occupies 
a  dark  hole  in  one  of  the  walls.  Fine  azulejos  decorate 
the  chapel,  and  many  other  antiquities,  too,  which  I  can- 
not enumerate. 

In  the  Capilla  del  Carmen  rest  the  remains  of  Geron- 
imo,  the  Cid's  bishop  and  confessor.  An  ancient  wooden 
crucifix  stands  over  the  altar,  it  is  the  identical  one  car- 
ried by  the  bishop  in  the  wars  of  the  Cid.  Another  relic 
of  the  great  Campeador  is  to  be  seen  in  the  Relicario. 
A  small  Byzantine  bronze,  "  el  Crucifijo  de  las  Batallas," 

[180] 


1         1    ' 


11       1       >    1 


...      .  .     ,    I  '  ,  ' ,  '  ' 


SALAMANCA. 

77ie  old  Cathedral. 


SALAMANCA 

studded  with  chequer  work — a  fine  specimen  of  early- 
Limoges  enamel. 

All  this  interested  me  muchly,  but  the  "  Catedral 
Vieja,"  a  grand  example  of  late  Romanesque  style,  in- 
terested me  more.  Fortis  Salmantia,  as  it  was  called,  on 
account  of  the  thickness  of  its  walls,  has  not  been  used  for 
service  since  its  huge  neighbour  was  erected. 

I  made  a  drawing  of  the  only  view  which  can  be  ob- 
tained of  the  exterior  from  the  Plazuela  chica.  The  cen- 
tral lantern  is  surmounted  by  the  emblem  of  nobility,  a 
cock,  and  is  formed  by  an  octagonal  tower  with  a  stone 
dome.  The  tower  is  arcaded  and  has  four  domed  tur- 
rets and  dormers  at  the  corners  similar  to  those  at  Za- 
mora.  Street  considers  that  he  has  "  never  seen  any  cen- 
tral lantern  more  thoroughly  good  and  effective  from 
every  point  of  view  than  this  is." 

To  reach  the  interior  one  has  to  retrace  one's  steps  to 
the  "Catedral  Nueva"  and  from  its  south  aisle  pass 
through  a  doorway  into  the  other  building.  This  was 
erected  on  a  lower  level  than  its  big  neighbour  and  with 
the  attendant  verger  I  descended  ten  steps  and  found  my- 
self in  a  very  beautiful  mellow-coloured  church.  The 
arches  of  the  nave  and  aisles  are  pointed,  but  the  windows 
and  arcading  are  round.  The  capitals  of  the  columns 
are  a  museum  of  carved  fantasies,  imps,  animals,  birds, 
&c.    On  the  wall  of  the  north  aisle,  which  was  partly  de- 

[183] 


CATHEDRAL   CITIES   OF   SPAIN 

molished  when  the  "  Catedral  Nueva"  was  built,  are 
some  very  curious  frescoes;  the  church  has  a  clerestory 
of  single  lights,  but  no  triforium. 

There  is  a  wonderful  retablo  in  the  Capilla  Mayor 
by  an  Italian,  Nicolas  Florentine.     It  is  still  in  perfect 
preservation,  and  the  fifty-five  frescoes  set  in  white  and 
gold  of  which  it  is  composed  have  a  beautiful  effect  in 
the  semi-gloom  of  the   dark  chapel.     The   Mozarabic 
Ritual  is  celebrated  six  times  a  year  in  another  chapel, 
La  Capilla  de  Talavera.    The  groining  of  its  roof  is  the 
only  one  of  the  sort  I  have  seen;  it  is  composed  of  par- 
allel ribs  which  cross  one  another.     In  the  Capilla  de 
San  Bartolome  lies  Bishop  Diego  de  Anaya.    His  tomb 
is  surrounded  by  one  of  the  finest  examples  of  wrought 
and  hammered  iron  work  in  the  whole  of  Spain.     Some 
other  members  of  this  family  are  also  interred  in  the 
chapel,  which  contains  a  medieval  organ  covered  by  a 
screen  of  coloured  Moorish  arabesques. 

The  cloisters  were  built  in  1170,  but  have  been  partly 
modernised  and  totally  disfigured  by  a  coat  of  white- 
wash. An  uncared-for  garden  filled  with  rubbish  occu- 
pies the  centre.  Surely  some  one  might  be  found  to  tend 
this  little  secluded  patch  of  quietness  and  make  it  a  place 
for  delightful  repose  instead  of  the  disgrace  it  now  is! 

Before  the  French  occupation  Salamanca  was  a  city 
of  churches   and  monastic   buildings.     To   build   their 

[184] 


SALAMANCA 

fortifications  they  destroyed  thirteen  convents  and  twenty 
colleges,  besides  many  churches.  The  south-west  comer 
of  the  city  is  still  an  empty  desert  full  of  rubble  and  stone 
strewn  about  everywhere,  the  remains  of  the  now  dis- 
mantled fortress  which  overlooked  the  valley  of  the 
Tormes. 

Among  the  churches  left,  that  attached  to  the  now  sup- 
pressed Dominican  Convent  of  San  Esteban  is  by  far  the 
finest.  It  is  a  miniature  Cathedral  in  itself.  The  Gothic 
exterior  is  extremely  good.  The  great  west  fagade  is 
highly  enriched  with  Plateresque  ornament.  An  ellip- 
tical arch  of  great  dimensions  roofs  the  porch.  Below  it 
is  a  realistic  group  illustrating  the  martyrdom  of  St. 
Stephen,  with  the  date  1610  cut  upon  a  stone  which  one 
of  the  figures  is  picking  up  to  hurl  at  the  saint.  The 
coro  is  over  the  west  end,  and  for  once  the  whole  of  the 
interior  is  visible.  This  is  very  lofty,  and  the  view  up  to 
the  immense  High  Altar,  executed  by  Chirriguera  him- 
self, superb.  There  are  two  more  altars  in  the  church  by 
the  same  hand,  and  although  his  flamboyant  style  is  not 
to  my  liking,  I  could  not  help  admiring  the  way  in  which 
he  had  evidently  allowed  himself  all  the  licence  he  was 
capable  of  in  their  sumptuous  design. 

To  the  south  of  the  little  plaza  in  which  San  Esteban 
stands  are  the  cloisters  of  the  convent,  in  the  upper  story 
of  which  is  Salamanca's  museum.    Unfortunately  it  con- 

[■85] 


CATHEDRAL   CITIES  OF   SPAIN 

tains  nothing  of  interest.  Columbus  was  lodged  by  the 
Dominicans  in  this  convent,  and  propounded  those 
schemes  to  the  monks  which  the  learned  members  of 
the  university  had  pronounced  worthless  and  crack- 
brained.  He  found  in  Fray  Diego  de  Deza  and  the  other 
brothers  warm  supporters. 

The  once  magnificent  Convent  of  las  Agustinas  Reco- 
letas,  founded  by  the  Count  of  Monterey,  has  a  beautiful 
church  in  the  shape  of  a  Latin  Cross.  Over  the  High 
Altar  is  one  of  Ribera's  masterpieces — The  Immaculate 
Conception.  Monterey  was  known  as  "  the  good  slow 
man"  and  was  Viceroy  of  Naples  in  Philip  IV.'s  reign. 
He  accumulated  great  wealth  during  his  Viceroyalty 
and  built  himself  the  fine  palace  which  stands  close  to 
the  convent.  There  is  an  anecdote  current  in  Salamanca 
that  when  a  peasant  woman  craved  an  audience  of  the 
King,  which  he  granted,  she  prayed  "  God  might  make 
him  also  Viceroy  of  Naples." 

The  University  which  made  Salamanca  famous  was 
united  with  that  of  Palencia  by  Ferdinand,  and  very  soon 
took  the  foremost  rank  as  a  seat  of  learning  in  Europe, 
though  at  the  Council  of  Constance,  in  the  year  1414, 
Oxford  was  given  precedence,  a  ruling  which  much  dis- 
gusted the  patriotic  Spaniard. 

The  building  was  entirely  altered  by  the  "  Catholic 
Kings,"  who  erected  the  marvellous  west  facade,  one  of 

[186] 


J  ,  >    >        1 
J       J  J  > )   ' 


SALAMx\NCA. 

Ai(  o/(/  Street. 


SALAMANCA 

the  best  examples  of  Plateresque  work  in  the  country. 
Like  that  of  the  Cathedral  and  San  Esteban,  it  is  a  won- 
derful example  of  what  can  be  done  with  soft  stone,  and 
how  well  the  most  delicate  modelling  has  survived  in 
this  dry  climate.  Some  of  the  Moorish  ceilings  of  the 
interior  have  been  restored.  The  grand  staircase  leading 
to  the  upper  floors  and  cloister  is  especially  well  carved 
with  dancers  and  foliage.  Over  the  door  of  each  aula, 
or  lecture  room,  is  a  tablet  denoting  the  science  taught 
within.  The  fine  library  is  rich  in  theological  lore  and 
early  editions  of  Aristotle,  &c. 

The  little  square  on  to  which  the  west  facade  opens 
also  leads  through  a  good  doorway  into  the  Grammar 
School,  with  a  delicious  cloister  and  shady  garden. 

The  four  sides  of  the  square  and  the  walls  of  the 
Cathedral  are  covered  with  numerous  hieroglyphics  and 
names  in  Roman  characters.  They  are  the  initials,  signs, 
and  names  of  the  numerous  scholars  who  have  distin- 
guished themselves  in  different  walks  of  life.  A  custom 
now  followed  in  all  our  own  schools  on  boards  of  honour. 

The  Collegio  Mayor  de  Santiago  Apostol  is  a  semi- 
nary for  Irish  priests.  The  number  in  training  is  gener- 
ally about  twenty.  This  building,  originally  founded  in 
1592  by  Philip  IL  and  dedicated  to  St.  Patrick,  is  a  very 
good  example  of  cinquecento  architecture. 

Among  the  many  fine  houses  still  left  after  French 

[189] 


CATHEDRAL   CITIES   OF   SPAIN 

depredations,  that  of  La  Casa  de  las  Conchas  is  the  most 
celebrated.  It  dates  from  15 12,  and  is  so  named  on  ac- 
count of  the  scallop  shells  which  decorate  the  exterior 
walls.  The  window  grilles  are  exceptionally  fine.  The 
Spanish  proverb  "  La  mujer  y  el  vidrio  siempre  estan  en 
peligro  " — "  a  woman  and  glass  are  always  in  danger," 
evidently  held  good  when  these  intricate  and  beautiful 
guards  were  let  into  the  stone.  The  house  has  a  lovely 
patio  and  a  very  fine  staircase.  La  Casa  de  Sal  is  another 
house  with  a  good  court,  the  gallery  above  being  sup- 
ported by  life-size  figures.  La  Casa  de  las  Duendos,  or 
Ghosts,  built  by  Archbishop  Fonesca,  was  supposed  to 
be  haunted,  hence  the  name.  The  Torre  del  Clavero  is 
a  good  specimen  of  the  Castilian  keep.  It  was  built  in 
1488  by  a  Sotomayer  who  was  Clavero  or  Key-bearer  to 
the  Alcantara  Order,  and  is  still  in  the  possession  of  this 
noble  family. 

Throughout  the  churches,  in  these  houses,  and  the 
convents  which  remain  unsuppressed  are  many  fine  pic- 
tures, and  except  for  Seville,  I  found  here  more  of  in- 
terest than  in  any  other  city  of  Spain.  In  the  convents  of 
course  mortal  man  is  forbidden  entrance,  and  I  could 
only  look  at  their  lofty  walls  and  wish  myself  a  nearer 
acquaintance  with  the  artistic  treasures  which  I  was  told 
lay  buried  behind  them. 

Perhaps  the  best  example  of  a  square  in  the  whole  of 

[190] 


SALAMANCA 

the  country  is  the  Plaza  Mayor.  A  lofty  colonnade  runs 
around  the  four  sides  and  every  evening  the  beauties  and 
others  of  Salamanca  make  it  their  promenade.  The  men 
stroll  round  in  one  direction  and  the  women  in  the  oppo- 
site. The  social  life  of  a  Spanish  town  passed  in  view 
before  me,  with  all  its  fan  and  language  of  the  eyes, 
as  I  sat  at  one  of  the  small  tables  of  a  cafe  and  got  this 
cheap  and  harmless  entertainment  for  one  real.  The 
square  dates  from  1720;  the  houses  are  four  storeys  high 
and  on  the  north  and  south  sides  bear  medallions  of 
kings  and  celebrated  men.  The  Ayuntamiento,  with  its 
chirrigueresque  facade,  occupies  the  centre  of  the  north 
side  and  adds  greatly  to  the  appearance  of  this  fine  Plaza 
where  up  to  fifty  years  ago  bull  fights  took  place. 

My  work  over,  I  nearly  always  found  myself  wander- 
ing on  to  the  desert  created  by  the  French  at  the  south- 
west angle  of  the  city,  and  with  my  pipe  spending  half 
an  hour  or  so  meditating  on  the  Salamanca  of  the  Past 
and  its  contrast  with  the  Present.  The  rock  stands  high 
here  over  the  road  and  river  below,  and  there  is  a  drop 
of  100  feet  or  more  down  on  to  the  former.  It  is  but  a 
narrow  lane  hedged  in  by  a  high  wall  and  this  forbid- 
ding-looking rock.  When  walking  along  this  lane  one 
day  I  noticed  many  crosses  cut  in  the  wall  and  chalked 
red.  On  inquiry  I  was  told  that  each  cross  represented 
a  suicide.     From  the  height  above,  those  tired  of  life  or 

[191] 


CATHEDRAL   CITIES   OF   SPAIN 

disappointed  in  love  hurl  themselves  down,  and  it  is  the 
unwritten  law  or  prerogative  of  him  who  finds  the  muti- 
lated body  to  carve  a  little  cross  on  the  wall  at  the  spot 
where  the  unhappy  mortal  has  ended  his  days.  But  it 
was  not  to  prevent  suicides  that  I  wandered  there  and 
sat  smoking  my  afternoon  pipe.  No,  I  fear  it  was  some- 
thing inglorious,  it  was  to  get  away  from  the  stenches 
and  filth  of  the  town  and  breathe  the  fresh  air  of  the 
plain.  I  do  not  think  that  anywhere,  unless  it  be  in  Tar- 
ragona, were  my  olfactory  nerves  so  insulted  as  in  Sala- 
manca. Flies  in  thousands  settled  on  my  colour  box  and 
paper  wherever  I  sat  sketching.  I  can  now  appreciate 
fully  the  torture  of  the  Egyptians  during  the  plague. 

Add  to  the  flies  beggars  innumerable,  with  horrible 
sores,  ofifal  and  filth  in  the  streets,  and  some  of  the  ro- 
mance vanishes.  Yet  Salamanca  still  remains  the  Spain 
of  my  imagination,  for  was  not  all  this  part  and  parcel  of 
my  dream? 


[192] 


AVILA 

VILA  is  one  of  the  most  perfectly  preserved 
towns  in  Spain.  It  gave  me  the  impression 
of  having  been  dropped  from  the  sky, — com- 
plete as  it  is — so  desolate  and  barren  is  the 
boulder-strewn  waste  that  surrounds  it.  A  sort  of  suburb 
pushes  its  mean  houses  straggling  beyond  the  walls,  but 
Avila  itself  lies  snugly  within  them.  They  are  perfect 
— these  walls  that  entirely  encircle  the  old  portion  of 
the  town.  Forty  feet  high,  twelve  thick,  with  eighty- 
six  defensive  towers  and  bastions,  and  ten  gates,  they  are 
constructed  of  slabs  of  granite  set  end  upwards,  and  were 
always  a  hard  nut  for  invaders  to  crack. 

The  Roman  Avela  afterwards  fell  into  the  hands  of 
the  Moors,  who  for  long  held  it  as  a  fortress  of  the  first 
class.  Alfonso  VI.,  the  conqueror  of  Toledo,  drove  them 
out  after  a  lengthy  siege,  and  Avila  was  rebuilt  by  his 
son  Ramon  of  Burgundy.  It  was  then  that  the  present 
walls  were  built,  being  erected  under  the  supervision  of 
two  foreigners,  a  Frenchman  and  an  Italian,  Florian  de 
Pituenga  and  Cassandro.     Since  their  day  Avila  has 

[193] 


CATHEDRAL   CITIES   OF   SPAIN 

played  an  important  role  in  the  history  of  the  country 
and  witnessed  many  strange  events. 

In  1465  an  extraordinary  scene  took  place  on  the  plain 
outside  the  city.  That  unpopular  king,  Enrique  IV., 
was  reigning  at  the  time,  and  the  hatred  of  the  people 
towards  him  reached  its  height  when  his  effigy  was 
dragged  from  the  city  and  set  upon  a  throne  which  had 
been  prepared  for  the  ceremony  of  degradation.  The 
Archbishop  of  Toledo  having  recounted  the  people's 
grievances,  removed  the  crown  from  the  effigy's  head, 
others  high  in  the  land  insulted  it  and  at  length  pushed 
it  off  the  throne,  the  people  then  kicked  it  about  and  a 
game  of  "socker"  ensued.  Prince  Alfonso,  a  mere  boy, 
was  raised  to  the  unoccupied  seat,  and  hailed  King  by  the 
Archbishop,  nobles  and  people,  amidst  a  blare  of  trum- 
pets and  general  rejoicing. 

Avila  is  an  intensely  cold  place,  frosts  often  occur 
here  in  May,  but  the  summer  months  are  delightful. 
Every  street,  every  house  almost  is  of  interest,  and  in  the 
old  days  of  its  importance  there  could  have  been  few 
strongholds  in  the  country  so  safe  as  this. 

The  Cathedral  is  almost  a  fort  in  itself.  The  east 
end  forms  part  of  the  city  walls,  the  apse  abutting  in  line 
with  the  next  two  towers  on  either  side  forms  part  of 
the  defensive  works. 

Commenced  at  the  end  of  the  eleventh  century  by  Alva 

[  194  ] 


3  t 

11  1 


•M«r. 


AVILA 

Garcia,  a  native  of  Navarre,  this  early  Gothic  building 
is  still  unfinished.  Not  much  is,  however,  of  this  early 
date,  for  the  general  style  of  the  building  is  of  the  end  of 
the  next  century,  and  many  alterations  have  followed 
this  in  later  years. 

The  west  front  has  but  one  tower,  the  north — the 
other,  the  south,  does  no  rise  above  the  roof.  The 
favourite  ball  decoration  of  late  Gothic  Spain  is  in  evi- 
dence, and  guarding  the  doorway  are  a  couple  of  un- 
couth mace  bearers.  Very  terrible  are  these  hairy  gran- 
ite men,  but  not  so  dangerous  looking  as  the  two  lions 
which  stand  on  pedestals  and  are  chained  to  the  Cathe- 
dral walls.  Always  on  guard,  these  four  strange  figures 
have  no  doubt  many  a  time  struck  a  holy  terror  into  the 
hearts  of  would-be  evil-doers  as  they  entered  the  church, 
and  I  daresay  kept  the  thoughts  of  others  in  the  straight 
line. 

The  north  door  is  early  pointed  and  carries  figures  in 
each  jamb,  the  tympanum  is  decorated  with  reliefs  of 
the  Betrayal  and  Last  Supper,  but  all  the  figures  are 
sadly  mutilated. 

The  third  entrance  is  at  the  south-east  corner  of  the 
Cathedral,  and  is  a  later  addition,  opening  outside  the 
walls  of  the  city  on  to  the  Calle  de  S.  Segundo. 

The  interior  of  the  Cathedral  is  very  simple  and  mas- 
sive, partaking  more  of  strength  than  elegance.     It  is  a 

[197] 


CATHEDRAL   CITIES   OF   SPAIN 

fitting  inside  to  the  severity  of  the  fortress-like  exterior. 
The  nave  is  narrow  and  lofty,  and  so  are  the  aisles.  The 
large  clerestory  w^indows  have  their  tracery  above 
blocked  up,  and  the  lower  lights  have  been  treated  in  the 
same  way,  thus  giving  a  certain  resemblance  to  a  tri- 
forium,  a  feature  the  church  does  not  possess. 

The  aisles  in  the  apse  are  double,  like  those  at  Tortosa, 
and  although  the  single  columns  in  the  centre  are  very 
beautiful,  these  aisles  have  not  the  elegance  of  those  in 
the  other  Cathedral.  The  apse  is  very  dark,  the  stone 
work  at  one  time  was  painted  red  and  the  little  that  re- 
mains of  this  colour  adds  to  the  religious  gloom  of  its 
double  aisles. 

The  columns  throughout  the  Cathedral  were  built  to 
bear  great  weight,  their  capitals  are  simple  and  their 
bases  the  same.  The  little  light  that  glimmers  through 
the  windows  adds  greatly  to  the  sombre  strength  of  this 
fine  building,  which,  more  than  any  other  of  its  size, 
reflects  the  life  of  the  Spain  of  those  days  in  which  it 
was  erected.  Street  thinks  it  less  influenced  by  outside 
art  than  any  other  building  in  the  country,  and  instances 
the  unique  method  of  laying  the  stone  of  the  roof  as  sup- 
porting this  opinion. 

The  transepts  contain  some  good  glass,  as  also  do  the 
windows  in  the  chancel.  There  are  many  good  early 
tombs  throughout  the  Cathedral.     Judging  from  their 

[198] 


t       1 

>     ,   >  ',) 
>  1      J      1 


GATEWAY     AT    AVI  LA. 
Piteyta  de  San    Vicente. 


AVI  LA 

style  Avila  was  left  alone  when  Chirriguera  was  erect- 
ing monstrosities  elsewhere,  and  to  me  it  is  the  most 
homogeneous  of  Spain's  Cathedrals.  The  retablo  over 
the  High  Altar  rises  in  three  stages  and  contains  pictures 
by  Berruguete,  Santos  Cruz  and  Juan  de  Borgona.  On 
this  account  my  last  remark  might  be  criticised,  for  the 
whole  piece  is  a  jumble  of  styles.  The  chancel  is,  how- 
ever, too  narrow  for  a  view  of  this  medley  from  the  body 
of  the  church,  and  wherever  one  roams  in  the  building 
nothing  attracts  the  eye  or  disturbs  the  mind  by  being 
too  flagrantly  incongruous. 

So  dark  is  the  apse  that  the  Renaissance  trassegrario 
does  not  obtrude  in  the  early  Gothic  of  its  surroundings. 
The  very  fine  tomb  of  Bishop  Alfonso  de  Madrigal,  the 
Solomon  of  his  day,  is  fortunately  illuminated  by  a  little 
light,  and  I  could  see  the  effigy  of  this  wise  Prelate  seated 
at  his  desk  busily  engaged  with  his  pen  and  scroll,  while 
above  him  the  Magi  and  Shepherds  are  adoring  in  a 
good  relief. 

There  are  some  early  paintings  in  most  of  the  chapels, 
the  retablo  in  that  of  San  Pedro  being  perhaps  the  best. 

The  work  of  Cornielis,  a  Flemish  sculptor,  circa 
^^TI'M^  is  admirably  displayed  in  the  very  beautiful 
carving  of  the  silleria  de  coro,  and  there  is  no  better 
example  of  Spanish  metal  work  of  the  fifteenth  century 
to  be  found  than  in  the  two  iron-gilt  pulpits. 

[  20I  ] 


CATHEDRAL   CITIES   OF   SPAIN 

The  sacristy  contains  a  splendid  silver  monstrance  by 
Arfe,  and  an  Italian  enamelled  chalice  of  the  fourteenth 
century  by  Petrucci  Orto  of  Siena.  The  cloisters  are 
disappointing,  having  been  much  mutilated  and  the  four- 
teenth-century tracery  of  the  arches  blocked  up. 

Avila,  like  its  neighbour  Segovia,  contains  some  of  the 
best  examples  of  Romanesque  work,  and  its  many 
churches  are  archaeologically  as  interesting  as  the  Cathe- 
dral. 

Sheltering  from  the  keen  north  wind  under  the  arcade 
of  San  Vicente  I  made  a  sketch  of  the  gateway  of  that 
name.  The  church  was  founded  in  1307  and  dedicated 
to  three  martyrs  who  were  put  to  death  on  the  rock  which 
may  still  be  seen  in  the  crypt  below.  The  west  fagade 
has  two  incomplete  towers,  between  which  is  a  most  elab- 
orately carved  Romanesque  doorway,  standing  in  a 
deeply  recessed  arch. 

The  pure  Romanesque  nave  has  both'  triforium  and 
clerestory  and  the  unusual  feature  of  pointed  vaulting. 
The  proportions  of  this  noble  church  are  very  fine,  but 
the  interest  of  the  non-architectural  visitor  will  be  cen- 
tred in  the  tomb  of  San  Vicente  and  his  two  sisters  SS. 
Sabina  and  Cristeta.  A  metal  work  canopy  resting  on 
twisted  columns  surmounts  the  tomb,  which  is  a  sarcoph- 
agus of  the  thirteenth  century.  The  legend  tells  how, 
after  the  martyrdom  of  these  three,  the  body  of  the  first 

[  202  ] 


AVI  LA 

named  was  cast  out  to  the  dogs,  and  that  a  serpent  came 
out  of  the  hole  in  the  rock  (still  visible)  and  watched 
over  it.  A  Jew  who  mocked  was  smitten  unto  death  by 
the  reptile  and  lies  buried  in  the  south  transept. 

The  transept  choir  and  three  semicircular  apses  are: 
Transitional,  and  carry  a  barrel  vaulting. 

Outside  the  city  wall,  a  little  way  down  the  hillside 
and  beyond  the  dirty  suburb  that  intervenes,  is  the  late 
Gothic  church  of  San  Tomas.  It  possesses  a  fine  retablo' 
of  the  patron  of  St.  Thomas  Aquinas.  The  High  Altar 
is  placed  in  a  gallery  above  a  low  elliptical  arch,  this 
feature  being  repeated  at  the  west  end  with  the  coro 
above.  At  the  crossing  of  the  transepts  is  the  beautiful 
but  greatly  mutilated  tomb  of  Prince  Juan,  the  only  son 
of  Ferdinand  and  Isabella,  by  whose  untimely  death  the 
crown  of  Spain  passed  to  Austria.  Two  other  tombs  of 
great  interest  are  those  of  Juan  de  Avila  and  Juana 
Velasquez.  Messer  Dominco,  the  Florentine,  executed 
them  both. 

San  Pedro,  standing  at  the  east  side  of  the  Mercado 
Grande,  is  another  Romanesque  church  of  great  beauty. 
Over  the  west  door  is  a  fine  wheel  window.  The  interior 
is  pure  Romanesque  and  rich  in  ornament,  and  the  north 
portal  is  replete  with  the  same. 

Santa  Teresa  was  born  of  noble  parents  in  Avila.  In 
her  early  youth  her  heart  hungered  for  saintly  adven- 

[  203  ] 


CATHEDRAL   CITIES   OF   SPAIN 

tures  in  the  broiling  sun  of  Africa  and  her  mind  was  set 
upon  martyrdom  at  the  hands  of  the  Moors.  Fate,  how- 
ever, decreed  otherwise.  At  twenty  years  of  age  she  took 
the  veil  and  within  a  few  years  had  founded  seventeen 
convents  of  barefooted  Carmelite  nuns.  A  favourite  saint 
of  Spain,  the  date  of  her  death,  August  27,  is  kept  all 
over  the  Peninsula  and  her  festival  celebrated  with  great 
honour  in  Avila  on  October  15. 


[204] 


SEGOVIA 

OIRTY,  dilapidated  and  sleepy,  but  the  most  en- 
chanting town  in  Spain.  What  a  treat  it  was 
to  find  myself  once  more  in  the  Middle  Ages 
after  the  bustle  and  noise  of  Madrid! 
The  springs  of  a  Spanish  'bus  are  good.  I  never  en- 
tered one  without  great  misgivings  as  to  how  long  I  was 
fated  to  remain  in  this  world.  To  drive  into  a  town  such 
as  Segovia  is  a  grand  test  for  the  nerves.  Crack  goes 
the  whip,  off  start  the  sorry-looking  horses  with  a  jerk. 
I  am  flung  violently  against  my  neighbour.  I  hasten  to 
apologise.  A  disconcerting  jolt  knocks  the  hat  over  my 
eyes;  before  it  is  adjusted  I  find  myself  in  an  attitude  of 
prayer  with  my  head  buried  in  the  lap  of  the  stout  lady 
who  pants  opposite;  another  bump  and  she  is  embracing 
me;  we  disentangle  ourselves;  we  apologise;  every  one  in 
the  'bus  is  doing  the  same.  The  Jehu  on  the  box  fears 
no  obstacles;  a  rock  or  a  rut,  they  are  all  the  same  to  him; 
he  takes  them  all  with  utter  disregard  to  everything  in 
his  way.  We  fly  along,  and  somehow  we  land  safely.  We 
always  do.    Yes,  the  steel  of  those  spiderlike  springs 

[205] 


CATHEDRAL   CITIES   OF   SPAIN 

must  be  good,  or  the  saints  are  watching  our  venture. 
Perhaps  both. 

The  scenery  on  the  journey  from  Madrid  is  very  fine 
after  the  train  leaves  the  junction  at  Villalba.  Slowly  we 
crawled  up  the  incline  winding  round  and  doubling  on 
our  course.  Merry  little  snow-fed  streams  eager  to  join 
with  their  fellows  below  sped  along  in  a  race  to  the  sea. 
The  summer  villas  of  the  Madrilenos  dot  the  hill  slopes 
on  the  ground  above  the  withy  beds.  We  went  up  and 
up  until  the  highest  point  on  the  line  was  reached  under 
the  road  along  which,  marching  north,  Napoleon's  troops 
toiled  in  the  face  of  a  fearful  blizzard.  Before  enter- 
ing the  tunnel  at  the  top  of  the  pass  a  glorious  panorama 
is  spread  out  to  the  south.  Away  in  the  distance  are  the 
mountains  of  Toledo  and  the  spires  of  far-off  Madrid. 
On  leaving  this  point  the  descent  became  rapid,  and  we 
whirled  through  a  magnificent  valley  amidst  true  Alpine 
scenery.  The  rugged  tops  of  the  Sierra  rose  above  thick 
forests  of  pine,  brawling  torrents  dashed  headlong  down 
through  green  pastures,  grand  cattle  were  browsing  on 
every  side,  it  was  indeed  more  Swiss  than  Spanish. 

One  often  hears  the  question  asked — why  are  there 
no  trees  in  Spain?  A  French  writer  answers,  that  the 
Moors  are  responsible  for  the  lack  of  shade  in  a  Spanish 
landscape.  He  tells  us  they  cut  down  all  the  trees  they 
found,  because  trees  harbour  birds,  and  birds  destroy  all 

[206] 


SEGOVIA 

fruit  and  grain! — a  truly  ingenious  theory,  quite  worthy 
of  the  fertile  brains  of  the  French,  but  surely  a  most 
ridiculous  solution.  The  Moor  brought  the  orange  and 
the  lemon  to  Europe;  he  was  a  lover  of  shade,  he  was  also 
a  great  gardener.  No,  the  reason  why  Spain  has  ap- 
parently no  trees,  is  that  very  few  have  been  planted  for 
hundreds  of  years.  Wood  is  necessary  for  fires  in  a  coun- 
try where  there  is  practically  no  coal.  The  peasant  has 
always  been  poor,  he  has  always  taken  anything  that 
came  to  his  hand.  He  helped  himself  to  the  wood  of  the 
forests  around  him.  His  betters  did  the  same.  All  the 
trees  near  Madrid  are  known  to  have  been  ruthlessly 
cut  down  and  sold  to  defray  the  expenses  of  Philip  II. 's 
Court;  and  it  is  only  of  recent  years  that  any  replanting 
has  been  taken  in  hand. 

When  the  present  King  was  a  boy  of  four  years  old,  a 
ceremony,  now  repeated  every  year  at  the  Fiesta  del 
Arbol,  was  inaugurated.  The  Queen  Mother  took  him 
to  Guindebra  outside  Madrid,  where  he  planted  several 
trees.  At  every  anniversary  the  day  is  devoted  by  school 
children  all  over  the  country  to  this  same  object.  As 
many  as  10,000  saplings  have  been  put  into  the  ground  in 
a  single  day,  thus  laying  by  a  store  of  wealth  for  future 
generations. 

Segovia  is  surrounded  by  trees.  Hidden  from  the  great 
plain  in  which  the  town  lies,  they  cover  the  banks  of  the 

[207] 


CATHEDRAL   CITIES   OF   SPAIN 

two  streams  which  join  issue  below  the  city,  thus  form- 
ing the  mass  of  rock  on  which  it  stands.  These  valleys, 
eaten  out  by  the  running  water,  are  among  the  great 
charms  of  this  romantic  place.  Nothing  can  exceed  the 
beauty  of  early  spring.  Fruit  trees  in  full  blossom,  tall 
poplars  bending  their  graceful  heads  in  the  breeze  and 
chestnuts  bursting  into  leaf.  The  air  is  filled  with  the 
ti^'itterings  of  nesting  birds,  the  sloping  banks  covered 
with  the  tender  green  of  young  grass;  all  nature  is  alive, 
the  sun  is  warm  and  the  sound  of  rushing  waters  brings 
peace  to  the  soul.  Perched  high  up,  hanging  apparently 
on  mighty  rocks,  the  Alcazar  broods  grimly  over  the 
gorge  below.  Still  further  up  and  beyond,  rises  the  mass 
of  the  Cathedral,  towers,  domes,  and  pinnacles.  Three 
hundred  and  thirty  feet  high,  the  great  tower  rears  itself 
like  a  sentinel,  a  landmark  for  many  miles.  Round  the 
base  cluster  the  houses  of  the  town  like  chickens  seeking 
shelter  under  the  wings  of  a  mother  hen.  No  place  in  all 
Spain  appealed  to  me  so  much.  No  town  was  so  replete 
with  subjects  for  my  brush,  and  nowhere  else  did  I  feel 
the  romance  of  this  marvellous  country  as  in  Segovia. 

A  town  of  Iberian  origin  and  name,  under  the  Roman 
rule  it  was  of  some  importance.  The  great  aqueduct 
which  spans  the  valley  that  divides  Segovia  in  the  Plaza 
del  Azoquejo  brought  pure  water  from  a  mountain  tor- 
rent, the  Rio  Frio,  ten  miles  away.    It  does  the  same  to- 

[  208  ] 


1  > '  '  '    '   ' 


'^; 


o 
o 


SEGOVIA 

day.  Constructed  of  granite  blocks,  laid  Cycloper.n 
fashion  without  mortar  or  cement,  it  commences  near 
San  Gabriel.  To  break  the  force  of  the  rushing  stream 
the  conduit  has  many  angles.  Without  doubt  it  is  the 
most  important  Roman  remain  in  Spain,  for  this  alone 
Segovia  would  be  famous. 

Once  upon  a  time  his  Satanic  Majesty  fell  desperately 
in  love  with  a  beautiful  Segovian.  To  further  his  suit, 
an  offer  was  made  to  do  anything  she  might  require.  Fler 
home  was  on  a  hill ;  her  work,  to  fetch  water  from  the 
stream  below.  Finding  the  continual  tramp  down  and 
up  rather  irksome,  this  daughter  of  Eve  bethought  her- 
self of  a  request  to  mitigate  her  toil.  "  Done,"  said  the 
Evil  One,  and  the  aqueduct  was  built  in  one  night!  In 
terror  she  fled  to  the  church,  and  the  church  discovered 
that  one  stone  had  been  left  out,  also  that  the  aqueduct 
was  extremely  useful.  The  contract  was  declared  void 
and  the  maiden  freed  from  the  rash  promise  she  had 
playfully  given  his  majesty.  The  country  folk  still  know 
it  by  the  name  of  the  Puento  del  Diabolo. 

During  the  siege  of  Segovia,  the  Moors  destroyed 
thirty-five  of  the  arches,  but  these  were  cleverly  rebuilt 
in  1493  by  Juan  Escovedo,  a  monk  of  El  Parral,  who  re- 
ceived the  scaffolding  in  payment  for  his  work.  More 
recently,  extensive  repairs  in  the  same  way  have  been 
successfully  carried  out.    The  most  imposing  view  is  in 

[211] 


CATHEDRAL    CITIES   OF    SPAIN 

the  Plaza  del  Azoquejo,  from  which  it  towers  upwards 
in  a  double  line  of  arches  one  above  the  other,  and  its 
length  best  grasped  from  El  Calvario,  a  hill  to  the  south 
of  the  town. 

The  Cathedral  is  a  late  Gothic  pile,  built  of  a  warm 
yellow  stone,  and  looks  particularly  impressive  from  a 
shady  walk  among  the  rocks  on  the  left  bank  of  the 
Clamores,  the  stream  which  cuts  ofif  Segovia  from  the 
southern  plateau.  It  was  begun  in  1525  by  the  builder 
of  Salamanca's  Cathedral,  which  it  greatly  resembles, 
Juan  Gil  de  Hontanon,  and  continued  at  his  death  by  his 
son.  The  weak  point  in  the  exterior,  which  masses  very 
grandly,  is  the  western  fagade.  The  interior  is  very  strik- 
ing. The  wide  span  of  the  arches,  the  richness  of  the 
admirable  vaulting,  the  splendid  late  Gothic  windows 
and  the  feeling  of  light  and  space  are  fine  examples  of 
the  last  stage  of  Gothic  work,  just  before  the  influence  of 
the  oncoming  Renaissance  took  hold  of  the  architects  of 
that  day.  The  floor  is  beautifully  laid  with  red,  blue 
and  white  diamond-shaped  slabs  of  marble;  and  the  very 
necessary  notice — "No  escupir,  la  religiosidad  y  higiene 
la  prohibur" — keeps  it  clean  and  decent. 

In  the  coro^  which  occupies  nearly  the  whole  of  the 
centre  of  the  nave,  there  is  a  retablo  by  Sabatini,  The 
silleria  are  very  fine.  They  were  rescued  from  the  old 
Cathedral,  which  was  destroyed  in  Charles  V.'s  time  by 

[212] 


1113,1^      '',      ■>,      1       ' 


SEGOVIA. 
The  Aqueduct. 


SEGOVIA 

the  Comuneros,  who  started  business  by  pulling  down 
churches,  appropriating  all  they  could  lay  hands  on, 
plundering  the  wealthy  and  generally  behaving  as  a  mob 
that  has  the  upper  hand  always  does.  The  outer  walls 
of  the  coro  are  stucco,  painted  to  represent  different 
species  of  marble;  described,  by  the  way,  in  a  reputable 
guide  book — "beautifully  coloured  marbles"! 

Most  of  the  rejas  which  shut  off  the  side  chapels  are 
good  gilded  iron  work.  In  that  of  la  Piedad  there  is  a 
good  retablo  with  life-sized  figures  by  Juan  de  Juni, 
1 571 ;  and  in  the  chapel  of  the  Segragrio  a  wooden  figure 
of  Christ  by  Alonso  Cano.  Through  a  fine  Gothic  portal 
in  the  Capilla  del  Cristo  del  Consuelo  I  entered  the 
cloisters  in  company  with  a  verger,  who  took  great  pride 
in  his  Cathedral.  These  cloisters  are  surpassingly  beauti- 
ful; a  very  good  example  of  flamboyant  Gothic.  In 
vain  did  I  search  for  a  corner  from  which  to  make  a 
sketch.  The  courtyard  was  overgrown  with  shrubs,  tall 
cypresses  and  vines  climbing  at  random  shut  out  every- 
thing. The  well  in  the  centre,  evergrown  with  creepers 
and  weeds;  while  in  the  cloisters  themselves  preparations 
were  afoot  for  the  coming  Easter  processions,  and  all 
available  space  taken  up  by  carpenters  and  painters  at 
work  on  the  Pasos. 

In  the  little  dark  chapel  of  Santa  Catalina  on  the  west 
side,  is  the  tiny  tomb  of  the  unfortunate  Infante  Pedro, 

[215] 


CATHEDRAL   CITIES   OF    SPAIN 

the  three-year-old  son  of  Henry  11.  The  poor  little 
child  was  dropped  by  his  nurse  from  a  window  in  the 
Alcazar,  and  ended  his  young  life  on  the  rocks  below. 
'Tis  a  pitiful  object  this  pathetic  tomb,  alone,  here  in 
this  damp  spot  where  daylight  only  enters  when  the 
door  is  opened. 

In  the  sacristy  there  is  a  Custodia  in  the  form  of  a 
temple,  six  feet  high,  silver  and  exquisitely  chased.  The 
vestments  possessed  by  the  clergy  are  most  rarely  worked 
and  of  great  value. 

Segovia  was  once  rich  in  churches.  Like  the  rest  of 
the  city,  a  great  many  have,  alas!  fallen  into  decay,  and 
those  not  in  this  state  are  rapidly  approaching  it.  They 
are  mostly  small  and  retain  the  apse.  Several  are  clois- 
tered and  every  one  of  them  is  architecturally  of  great  in- 
terest. Here  again  is  another  charm  of  this  romantic  old 
city,  evidence  of  past  glories  and  ecclesiastical  power, 
the  history  of  Spain  written  in  its  stones. 

San  Millan,  a  Romanesque  structure  of  the  twelfth 
century,  is  the  best  preserved  church  in  Segovia.  The 
exquisite  arcades  on  the  north  and  south  sides  have 
coupled  columns  with  elaborately  carved  capitals.  Like 
most  of  the  buildings  of  this  period,  solidity  rather  than 
grace  was  the  effect  aimed  at  by  their  architects.  It  pos- 
sesses a  triple  apse;  the  piers  supporting  the  roof  are  very 
massive,  the  capitals  to  the  columns  are  formed  of  semi- 

[216] 


SEGOVIA 

grotesque  figures  of  man  and  beast.  The  two  doorways 
are  good.  In  the  church  of  San  Martin  there  is  a  carved 
wooden  Passion.  Four  life-sized  figures  take  the  place 
of  shafts  in  the  great  doorway,  and  again  a  cloister  forms 
the  exterior  of  the  south  and  west  walls. 

In  the  Dominican  convent  of  Santa  Cruz,  founded  by 
Ferdinand  and  Isabella,  is  still  to  be  seen  a  sepulchral 
urn  of  one  of  the  original  companions  of  St.  Dominic. 
"  Tanto  monta,"  the  motto  of  the  King  and  Queen,  is  cut 
both  inside  and  out  on  the  walls.  Over  the  west  portal 
are  good  reliefs  of  the  Crucifixion  and  the  Pieta.  La 
Vera  Cruz,  a  church  built  by  the  Templars  in  1204,  is 
difficult  of  access.  I  procured  the  key  after  much 
trouble,  and  found  the  twelve-sided  nave  forming  a  sort 
of  ambulatory  round  the  central  walled-in  chamber.  It 
is  an  imitation  of  the  Holy  Sepulchre  at  Jerusalem.  The 
Templars  were  suppressed  in  13 12,  so  this  gem  had  but 
a  short  existence  as  their  house  of  prayer. 

Nestling  amidst  a  grove  of  acacia  trees,  hidded  away 
under  the  rock,  is  the  Santuario  de  Fuencisla.  Built  to 
commemorate  the  miraculous  rescue  of  Maria  del  Salto, 
a  beautiful  Jewess,  the  little  sanctuary  is  much  affected 
by  pilgrims.  The  rock  which  overshadows  it  is  known 
as  La  Pena  Grajera,  or  "  Crow's  Cliff,"  taking  this 
name  from  the  multitude  of  carnivorous  birds  who  al- 
ways assembled  here  for  a  meal  after  a  victim  had  been 

[217] 


CATHEDRAL   CITIES   OF   SPAIN 

hurled  down  to  expiate  his  crime  in  a  death  below. 
Maria,  accused  of  adultery,  was  led  to  the  top  and  pushed 
off  the  edge  to  find  the  fate  of  so  many  before  her.  With 
great  presence  of  mind  she  called  loudly  on  the  Virgin, 
who  hearing,  came  to  her  assistance;  and  so  retarded  her 
downward  flight  that  she  alighted  gently,  escaping  un- 
hurt. Here  in  days  long  gone  by  lived  a  hermit,  whose 
good  life  and  deeds  are  still  a  much-reverenced  legend 
among  Segovians. 

The  monastery  of  El  Parral,  once  a  wealthy  and  pow- 
erful house  of  the  brotherhood  of  San  Geronimo,  con- 
tains a  very  good  retablo  by  Diego  de  Urbina.  It  was 
founded  by  a  member  of  the  great  Pacheco  family,  who 
fought  three  antagonists  one  after  another  and  came  off 
successful.  He  vowed  to  build  a  church  on  the  spot 
where  his  skill  and  prowess  gave  him  so  splendid  a  vic- 
tory, and  to  endow  it  as  well.  It  is  now  a  convent  of 
Franciscan  nuns. 

Next  in  importance  to  the  Cathedral  is  the  compara- 
tively new  building  of  the  Alcazar.  Standing  high  up 
on  the  crags,  below  which  the  Eresma  and  Clamores 
meet,  it  occupies  an  unrivalled  position.  A  fine  view  of 
this  truly  Castilian  fortress  is  obtained  from  the  beautiful 
walk  which  encircles  the  city  on  the  further  bank  of  each 
stream.  Above  the  tall  poplars  and  thick  scrub  rise  its 
turrets  and  spires.    The  massive  walls  go  sheer  up  from 

[218] 


'        » 1    .      »  >     '  '  1  ;  1 '  1  1   » 1 

'i       ■»  y    y  t  t     t    t  I'l       11        111         ) 


C         3 


SEGOVIA 

the  rock  on  which  their  foundations  rest.  The  huge  em- 
battled tower  and  drawbridge  assist  the  feeling  of 
strength;  and  it  only  requires  the  weathering  of  years, 
adding  broken  colour  to  the  somewhat  new-looking  ex- 
terior, to  make  this  a  perfect  specimen  of  mediaeval  ar- 
chitecture. 

The  building  was  originally  Moorish,  but  the  many 
vicissitudes  of  troublous  times  saw  it  in  a  bad  state  when 
Henry  IV.,  "el  Impotente,"  repaired  and  made  it  his 
residence.  Within  its  walls  Isabella  was  proclaimed 
Queen  of  Castile  in  1474.  Cabrera,  the  husband  of  her 
greatest  friend,  Beatrice  of  Boabdilla,  held  the  fortress 
and  its  treasure,  and  it  was  mainly  through  his  valour 
that  Isabella  succeeded  to  the  throne.  During  the  Com- 
uneros  insurrection  the  Alcazar  held  out  for  Charles  V. 
At  the  quelling  of  the  revolt  Charles  did  all  in  his  power 
to  thoroughly  restore  the  building  and  furnish  it  with 
great  splendour.  His  son  Philip  added  much  that  the 
father's  death  had  left  unfinished.  Our  own  King, 
Charles  I.,  was  here  entertained,  and  Gil  Bias  confined 
a  prisoner.  The  great  fire,  originated  by  some  of  the 
students  of  the  military  college,  almost  entirely  destroyed 
the  whole  castle  in  1862.  The  present  edifice  dates  from 
shortly  after  that  year  and  is  now  used  as  a  storehouse 
for  military  archives  and  an  academy  for  artillery 
officers. 

[221] 


CATHEDRAL   CITIES   OF   SPAIN 

A  very  good  gateway  spans  the  road  that  leads  out 
past  the  Santuario  de  Fuencisla  along  the  right  bank  of 
the  Eresma.  The  river  here  is  an  ideal  looking  trout 
stream,  but  alas!  fish  are  not  as  plentiful  now  as  when 
Charles  I.  was  entertained  and  fed  on  "  f atte  troute"  in 
the  Alcazar.  Follow  the  path  over  the  bridge  to  the 
left,  it  soon  narrows  into  a  mere  goat  track  as  it  skirts  the 
rock;  a  few  steps  farther  on  and  the  wonderful  position 
of  the  fortress-castle  bursts  into  view.  How  fascinating 
it  looked  as  I  saw  it  one  night  in  the  moonlight  with  the 
silver  beams  glinting  on  its  spires!  All  was  very  still  as 
I  entered  the  wood  of  stunted  pines  beyond.  Across  the 
ravine  rose  the  mighty  Cathedral  silhouetted  against  a 
dark  star-laden  sky.  A  light  here  and  there  shone  from  a 
window  in  the  houses  beneath.  I  heard  the  distant  cry 
of  the  watchman  on  his  rounds.  A  faint  scent  from  the 
heavy  dew  rose  to  my  nostrils,  a  scent  of  mother  earth. 
It  was  with  unwilling  steps  I  crossed  the  stream  and 
sought  my  bed  that  night.    Such  moments  are  rare. 

On  the  left  bank  of  the  Eresma,  almost  hidden  in  the 
trees,  stands  a  building  which  once  was  the  mint  of 
Spain.  Up  till  the  year  1730  all  Spain's  money  was 
coined  here,  the  proximity  to  the  impregnable  Alcazar, 
which  was  used  as  the  Treasury,  affording  security 
against  untimely  raids.  The  old  mint  is  now  a  flour  mill, 
but  still  bears  the  royal  arms  over  its  gateway. 

[  222  ] 


SEGOVIA 

At  one  time  Segovia  was  the  great  Castilian  mart  for 
wool.  The  church,  and  monasteries  of  El  Parral,  El 
Paular,  and  the  Escorial  owning  immense  flocks.  These 
were  driven  to  the  pure  waters  of  the  Eresma,  to  be 
cleansed  before  being  shorn.  After  the  sheep-washing 
the  animals  were  put  into  the  sweating  house,  and  their 
legs  tied  together.  The  shearer  then  commenced  opera- 
tions, and  as  each  sheep  passed  out  of  his  hands  it  was 
branded;  the  shepherds  standing  by  made  a  selection  of 
the  older  animals  for  the  butcher,  the  remainder  being 
taken  away  to  their  mountain  pastures.  Even  now  there 
are  many  flocks  in  the  country  around,  particularly  on 
the  lower  hills,  near  La  Granja,  where  I  noticed  a  large 
number  not  at  all  unlike  the  Kentish  breed  of  Romney 
Marsh. 

Seven  miles  from  Segovia  the  summer  Royal  Palace  of 
La  Granja  lies  in  the  midst  of  beautiful  woods  and  clear 
streams.  At  the  foot  of  the  Sierra,  the  highest  peak  of 
which.  La  Penalara,  raises  its  crest  a  few  miles  off,  this 
elysium  is  a  beautiful  spot  for  those  who  have  earned  a 
holiday  from  the  cares  of  State.  The  gardens  are  most 
charmingly  arranged,  and  the  fountains  with  a  never 
ending  supply  of  water,  better  than  those  at  Versailles. 
Euilt  by  Philip  V.,  whose  tastes  and  inclinations  were 
thoroughly  French,  La  Granja  has  been  the  scene  of  im- 
portant events  in  the  history  of  the  country.    The  treaty 

[223] 


CATHEDRAL   CITIES   OF   SPAIN 

which  handed  Spain  over  to  France  in  1796  was  here 
signed  by  Godoy.  In  1832  Ferdinand  VII.  revoked  the 
decree  by  which  he  had  abolished  the  Salic  law,  and 
summoned  Don  Carlos  to  the  palace  as  heir  to  the  throne, 
a  call  which  plunged  his  unhappy  country  into  civil  war. 
Four  years  later  the  Queen  Regent  was  compelled  within 
its  walls,  by  the  leader  of  a  revolutionary  soldiery,  to 
accept  the  constitution  of  Cadiz. 

Every  corner  of  Spain  holds  history,  but  none  can 
compare  with  Segovia  and  its  surroundings  in  romance 
and  old-world  charm. 


[224] 


SARAGOSSA 

'ARAGOSSA  lies  midway  on  the  railway  be- 
tween Madrid  and  Barcelona,  and,  having 
about  it  a  touch  of  both  these,  can  qualify  as 
one  of  Spain's  progressive  cities.  The  un- 
sightly factory  chimney  is  beginning  to  sprout  up  in  the 
suburbs;  old  and  narrow  streets  are  making  way  for 
broader  and  better;  and  unsanitary  quarters  giving  place 
to  modern  hygiene. 

Aragon  is  the  poorest  portion  of  this  fair  land,  and 
Saragossa  is  its  capital.  In  every  age  this  little  kingdom 
has  been  torn  by  war  and  has  suffered  heavily,  but  its 
people  have  never  wavered  in  their  faith,  and  are  still 
among  the  most  pious  and  superstitious  of  the  many  dif- 
ferent races  that  people  the  Iberian  Peninsula.  They 
possess  that  strong  attachment  for  their  sterile  plains  and 
barren  mountains  so  common  to  those  who  wring  from. 
Nature  a  bare  existence. 

The  Emperor  Augustus,  in  the  year  25  B.C.,  vastly 
improved  ''  Salduba,"  and  gave  it  the  title  of  Caesarea 
Augusta.    When  in  the  occupation  of  Rome  it  was  a  f  ree- 

[225] 


CATHEDRAL   CITIES   OF   SPAIN 

city  and  had  a  ^coinage  of  its  own.  The  first  place  in 
Spain  to  renounce  Paganism,  Saragossa  has  always  been 
a  city  of  great  holiness.  When  besieged  by  the  French 
under  Childebert  in  540,  the  inhabitants  carried  the  stole 
of  San  Vicente  round  the  walls — and  the  invader  fled. 

The  Infidel,  however,  proved  less  susceptible  to  a 
Christian  relic,  and  the  city  fell  to  the  weight  of  his 
arms  in  the  eighth  century.  Being  a  Berber  Infidel  he 
recognised  no  Kalif  of  Cordova,  and  between  the  two 
there  soon  began  one  of  those  internecine  conflicts  that 
in  the  end  led  to  the  termination  of  Moorish  rule. 

It  was  in  this  connection  that  Charlemagne  was  im- 
plored to  assist  the  Northern  Moor  against  the  Andalu- 
sian  and  crossed  the  Pyrenees  with  an  eye,  no  doubt, 
in  the  long  run,  to  the  acquisition  of  new  territory.  No 
sooner  had  he  reached  the  plains  of  Aragon  than  he  was 
recalled  to  quell  a  rising  in  his  own  dominions.  His 
back  turned,  and  he  being  presumably  in  retreat,  the  un- 
grateful people,  eager  for  plunder,  followed  and  in- 
flicted on  his  rearguard  a  terrible  defeat  in  the  most 
famous  Pyrenean  Pass,  the  Pass  of  Roncesvalles,  a  dis- 
aster in  which  Roland,  that  hero  of  romance,  lost  his  life. 

Thence,  onward  as  the  centuries  went  by,  Saragossa 
was  the  scene  of  many  a  fight.  Alfonso  I.  in  1 1 18,  recov- 
ered it  from  the  Moor  after  a  long  siege,  and  Moslem 
rule  was  ended. 

[226] 


SARAGOSSA 

Saragossa  is  best  known  in  the  annals  of  its  warfare 
for  the  heroic  defence,  immortalised  by  Byron,  in  the 
war  with  France.  In  the  month  of  May,  1808,  the  in- 
vader was  close  at  hand,  and  the  citizens  organised  them- 
selves for  defence.  A  young  aristocrat,  Jose  Palafox, 
was  chosen  as  the  nominal  leader,  and  had  at  his  right 
hand  the  redoubtable  peasant,  Tio  Jorge  Ibort — Gaffer 
George.  His  two  lieutenants  were  Mariano  Cerezo  and 
Tio  Marin,  while  the  courageous  priest  Santiago  Sas  as- 
sisted greatly,  through  his  influence  with  the  populace, 
to  keep  things  together  and  prevent  petty  squabbles.  One 
hundred  duros  supplied  the  sinews  of  war!  Sixteen 
cannon,  a  few  old  muskets  and  two  hundred  and  twenty 
fighting  men  were  all  that  the  leaders  could  count  upon 
to  repel  the  army  of  Lefebvre. 

The  siege  began  in  June  and  was  abandoned  in  Au- 
gust, in  consequence  of  the  disaster  to  Dupont  at  Bailen. 
In  the  following  December  four  Marshals  of  France, 
Junot,  Lannes,  Mortier  and  Moncey,  with  eighteen  thou- 
sand men,  invested  the  city,  but  it  was  not  until  February 
of  the  next  year  that,  having  driven  the  defenders  out  of 
the  Jesuit  convent  across  the  river,  the  French  were  able 
to  establish  a  foothold  in  the  outskirts  of  the  city  itself. 

Every  one  knows  how  the  Maid  of  Saragossa  took  the 
place  of  her  dead  artillery  lover  who  was  killed  at  his 
gun;  an  episode  that  has  since  become  a  theme  to  instil 

[227] 


CATHEDRAL   CITIES   OF   SPAIN 

the  young  with  heroic  ideals.  Such  was  the  spirit  that 
gained  for  the  city  the  proud  title  of  siempre  heroica. 
Her  citizens  fought  from  house  to  house,  every  street 
had  barricades,  and  it  was  only  that  when  decimated  by 
pestilence  and  famine,  with  half  the  place  a  smoking 
ruin,  one  of  the  most  celebrated  sieges  of  history  came  to 
end. 

As  in  Cadiz  and  Salamanca,  there  are  two  Cathedrals 
in  Saragossa,  La  Seo  and  El  Pilar.  The  former  occu- 
pies the  site  of  a  church  which  stood  here  before  the 
Moors  took  possession  of  the  place  and  turned  it  into  a 
mosque.  A  year  after  the  advent  of  Alfonso  L,  Bishop 
Pedro  de  Lebrana  reconsecrated  La  Seo,  and  its  walls 
have  witnessed  many  historical  events  in  the  life  of  Ara- 
gon  before  the  kingdom  became  merged  into  one  with 
Castile.  It  was  before  the  High  Altar  that  her  Kings 
were  crowned,  and  at  the  font  many  a  royal  babe  bap- 
tised. 

La  Seo  is  constructed  almost  entirely  of  the  dull  brown 
brick  with  which  the  older  part  of  the  city  is  also  built; 
the  interior  piers  and  vaulting  alone  being  of  stone.  On 
the  north-east  wall,  which  faces  the  gloomy  palace  of  the 
archbishop,  there  is  still  extant  the  most  elaborate  ar- 
rangement of  brick  work,  inlaid  with  coloured  glazed 
tiles,  blue,  green,  red,  white  and  yellow,  forming  a  very 
harmonious  and  attractive  scheme. 

[228] 


SAHAGOSSA. 
Easier  Procession. 


SARAGOSSA 

From  the  centre  of  the  north-west  fagade,  which  is  ex- 
tremely ugly,  rises  a  well-proportioned  tower  arranged 
in  four  stages,  with  Corinthian  columns,  the  top  of  which 
is  surmounted  by  a  red  tiled  cupola  and  spire.  The  col- 
our of  this  took  my  fancy,  it  "  sang  out"  so  much  against 
the  blue  of  the  sky — a  contrast  I  thought  worthy  of  an 
illustration. 

Entering  the  building  by  the  door  in  the  fagaae,  I 
was  immediately  nonplussed  as  to  the  orientation  of  the 
Cathedral.  To  add  to  the  puzzle,  for  the  structure  is  al- 
most square,  four  rows  of  columns  seemed  mixed  up  in 
endless  confusion,  and  the  dim  light  admitted  from  the 
few  windows  only  accentuated  the  mystery.  Very  beau- 
tiful, however,  is  this  Gothic  interior  which  runs  north- 
east and  south-west,  and  I  soon  found  a  spot  from  whence 
to  make  a  sketch.  The  columns  rise  from  marble  bases 
of  a  rich  crimson;  the  vaulting  above  was  lost  in  gloom, 
the  light  coming  in  from  the  south-west  window  struck 
vividly  on  portions  of  the  Renaissance  respaldos,  the 
niches  of  which  are  filled  with  saints  and  archbishops, 
and  the  pattern  of  the  marble  floor  served  but  to  heighten 
the  general  effect.  In  the  picture  may  be  seen  a  taber- 
nacle with  twisted  black  marble  columns;  this  marks  the 
spot  where  the  Virgin  suddenly  appeared  and  held  con- 
verse with  Canonigo  Fuenes. 

Besides  the  archbishop's  throne,  the  coro,  which  is  not 

[231] 


CATHEDRAL    CITIES   OF    SPAIN 

particularly  interesting,  contains  a  huge  reading  desk. 
There  is  a  great  deal  of  alabaster  throughout  the  Cathe- 
dral, notably  the  very  fine  Gothic  retablo  of  the  High 
Altar  by  Dalman  de  Mur,  around  which  are  many  tombs 
of  the  Kings  of  Aragon.  Close  by,  a  black  slab  marks 
the  place  where  rests  the  heart  of  Don  Baltazar  Carlos, 
the  son  of  Philip  IV.,  who  was  immortalised  by  the  brush 
of  Velasquez,  and  who  died  in  Saragossa  at  the  early  age 
of  seventeen. 

Among  the  chapels,  that  used  as  the  segrario,  or  par- 
ish church,  has  a  magnificent  Moorish  ceiling,  and  the 
fine  alabaster  tomb  of  Bernardo  de  Aragon.  The  Cathe- 
dral is  rich  in  splendid  tapestries  and  ecclesiastical  vest- 
ments. Among  the  former  is  certainly  the  best  I  have 
ever  set  eyes  upon.  It  is  a  very  early  piece  and  has  a 
wonderful  blue  sky.  In  it  are  woven  the  Last  Supper, 
Christ  Bearing  the  Cross,  the  Agony  in  the  Garden  and 
the  Crucifixion,  while  in  the  lower  right-hand  corner 
our  Saviour  is  assisting  with  a  long  pole  to  stir  up  devils 
who  are  roasting  in  Hades.  Among  the  vestments  is  an 
extremely  beautiful  chausable  brought  here  at  the  time 
of  the  Reformation  from  Old  St.  Paul's  in  London.  I 
wondered,  when  I  looked  at  it,  whether  Catherine  of 
Aragon,  Henry  VIII. 's  consort,  had  been  instrumental 
in  its  removal  from  England. 

The  Cathedral  of  El  Pilar  is  thus  named  as  it  possesses 

.  [  232  ] 


'         5      >      ^? 
3  3         >         ^ 


.,ij.;~    •  ...,«.'■' 


SARAGOSSA. 

La  Seo. 


SARAGOSSA 

the  identical  pillar  on  which  the  Virgin  descended  from 
Heaven  and  appeared  to  St.  James.  At  first  a  modest 
chapel,  it  has  grown  by  the  addition  of  cloisters  and  sub- 
sidiary chapels  to  the  present  stupendous  building.  The 
length  is  close  on  five  hundred  feet  and  the  breadth  two 
hundred.  The  possession  of  this  miraculous  pillar  has 
brought  untold  wealth  to  the  Cathedral.  Votive  offer- 
ings on  the  anniversary  of  the  festival  at  the  shrine  often 
amount  to  many  thousands  of  pounds.  Jewelry,  gems 
and  costly  objects  of  every  description  are  given;  these 
are  now  sold  by  auction,  the  large  sum  of  £20,000  being 
realised  a  few  years  ago.  To  these  sales  we  owe  a  fine 
rock  crystal  and  gold  medallion,  given  to  the  Virgin  of 
El  Pilar  by  Henry  IV.  of  France,  and  now  in  South 
Kensington  Museum.  Many  examples  of  old  Spanish 
goldsmith's  work  have  also  been  acquired  for  the  same 
collection  in  this  way. 

The  towers  and  pinnacles  of  El  Pilar  pile  up  grandly, 
and  are  best  seen  from  the  fine  bridge  which  spans  the 
yellow  flood  of  the  river  Ebro.  Silhouetted  against  the 
evening  sky,  with  the  smooth  running  waters  below,  it 
seemed  to  me  a  worthy  example  in  brick  and  stone  of  the 
church's  magnificence. 

The  interior  is  an  immense  temple,  the  frescoes  of 
which  are  from  the  brush  of  that  extraordinary  genius, 
Goya,  who  turned  his  talent  to  any  job  that  was  pro- 

[235] 


CATHEDRAL   CITIES   OF    SPAIN 

ductive  of  the  cash  he  spent  so  freely.  The  retablo  of 
the  High  Altar  is  a  fine  piece  of  work  from  the  alabaster 
quarries  at  Escatron.  Composed  of  three  good  Gothic 
canopies  with  tapering  finials,  it  has  seven  smaller  di- 
visions below.  Damian  Forment  was  the  artist  who  de- 
signed and  carried  out  this,  one  of  the  most  beautiful 
rctablos  in  the  country.  The  reja  which  stands  in  front 
of  the  coro  is  superb,  and  considered  to  be  Juan  Cel- 
ma's  masterpiece.  Behind  the  High  Altar  is  the  cele- 
brated chapel  of  the  Virgin.  The  figure  itself  is  of  very 
old  blackened  wood,  evidently  a  specimen  of  early  Chris- 
tian work.  On  October  12,  the  anniversary  of  her  de- 
scent, thousands  of  pilgrims  flock  hither  to  kiss  her  foot 
through  a  hole  in  the  wall  at  the  back  of  the  chapel. 
The  city  is  then  full  of  visitors  and  it  is  next  to  impos- 
sible to  find  quarters  or  a  roof  of  any  sort. 

I  happened  to  be  in  Saragossa  for  Semana  Santa,  and 
watched  the  processions  of  groups  of  heavy  wooden  fig- 
ures, illustrative  of  our  Lord's  life-history,  proceed 
through  crowded  streets.  My  sketch  shows  the  last 
paso  of  the  Crucifixion,  with  a  figure  of  the  Virgin  bring- 
ing up  the  rear,  as  they  passed  the  intensely  devout 
throngs  on  Good  Friday.  Masked  members  of  different 
religious  brother  and  sisterhoods  walk  along  keeping 
the  route  clear.  The  whole  procession  was  led  by  sol- 
diery, and  "  Romans,"  men  attired  in  the  garb  of  ancient 

[236] 


'  1 . 
>   1 


>   ,   >;  '  ' 


1    >;>';'. 


SARAGOSSA. 

In   the  Old  Cnihcdvid. 


SARAGOSSA 

Rome,  while  an  infantry  band  followed  the  Virgin.  The 
pasos  are  deposited  in  the  Church  of  Santiago  built  on 
the  spot  where  St.  James  passed  a  night.  In  the  belfry 
of  this  church  is  an  old  Gothic  bell  of  which  the  inhabi- 
tants are  justly  proud. 

San  Pablo  is  a  very  interesting  fabric,  dating  from  the 
year  1259.  The  floor  of  the  church  is  a  dozen  steps  be- 
low the  street.  The  retablo  is  another  fine  example  of 
Damian  Torment's  art.  The  aisles  are  cut  off  from  the 
nave  by  a  flat  wall  with  square  pillars  and  ill-propor- 
tioned pointed  arches.  The  coro  is  at  the  west  end,  from 
whence  also  issue  the  notes  of  a  very  beautifully  toned 
organ.  The  extraordinary  octagonal  brick  steeple  might 
pass  as  of  Russian  or  Tartar  origin. 

Of  all  the  gateways  to  the  city,  there  remains  but  one, 
the  Puerta  del  Carmen.  It  has  been  left  as  it  stood 
after  the  French  bombardment,  and  retains  many  marks 
'of  shot  and  soft-nosed  bullets.  The  site  of  the  historic 
Puerta  del  Portillo,  where  the  Maid  of  Saragossa  won 
immortal  fame,  is  in  the  square  of  the  same  name.  Out- 
side it  stands  the  Castillo  de  la  Aljaferia,  the  Palace  of 
the  Sheikhs  of  Saragossa,  and  the  residence  of  the  Kings 
of  Aragon.  Ferdinand  gave  it  to  the  Holy  Office,  and 
from  out  its  portals  issued  many  terrible  orders  for  the 
suppression  of  the  wretched  heretic.  There  still  remains 
a  small  octagonal  mosque,  and  many  of  the  rooms  have 

[239] 


CATHEDRAL   CITIES   OF   SPAIN 

their  original  artesonado  ceilings.  In  it  also  is  the  "  Tor- 
reta,"  the  dungeon  in  //  Trovatore;  while  from  the  tower 
can  be  seen  the  Castillo  de  Castlejar,  mentioned  in  the 
drama  by  Garcia  Gaturrio,  from  which  the  libretto  of 
the  opera  was  taken.  This  one-time  fine  palace  is  now 
a  barrack,  and  I  used  to  watch  the  recruits  drilling  and 
exercising  outside.  When  the  recruiting  season  com- 
mences, the  numbers  are  drawn  among  those  liable  to 
serve.  The  lucky  ones  being  those  who  are  not  compelled 
to  take  any  part  in  the  military  service  of  their  country. 
There  exist  societies  in  Spain,  to  which  a  sum  of  750 
pesetas  can  be  paid,  that  undertake  to  pay  another  750 
pesetas  to  the  State,  if  the  payee's  name  is  drawn  for 
service,  1500  pesetas  being  the  sum  which  enables  any 
one  to  forego  his  military  career.  If  his  number  is  not 
drawn,  he  loses  his  deposit,  if  it  is,  the  society  pays  the 
full  sum. 

In  the  old  days  the  nobles  of  Aragon  safeguarded  their 
privileges  by  the  Fueros  de  Sobrarbe,  a  code  something 
like  our  Magna  Charta,  which  reduced  the  King's  au- 
thority to  almost  vanishing  point.  Pedro  IV.  got  rid  of 
the  Fueros  by  cutting  to  pieces  the  parchment  incorpo- 
rating the  union  or  confederacy,  whose  members,  if  the 
King  was  thought  to  have  exceeded  his  prerogative,  were 
absolved  from  allegiance.  They  were  a  hard-headed 
race,  these  Aragonese,   and   are  still  like  those  of  the 

[  240  ] 


SARAGOSSA 

other  northern  provinces,  very  independent  and  jealous 
of  Castile's  rule. 

Among  the  other  things  handed  down  from  time  im- 
memorial is  a  national  dance,  and  the  Jota  Aragonesa, 
the  national  air,  known  beyond  the  limits  of  Spain. 
Very  few  of  these  old  airs  still  exist.  As  a  fact,  the  old 
songs  of  Spain  and  their  music  are  better  known  in  the 
Jewish  colony  of  Salonika  than  in  the  country  of  their 
origin.  The  upper  classes  of  this  colony  still  speak  the 
pure  Castilian  of  Cervantes'  time,  and  being  the  descend- 
ants of  Spanish  refugees  hounded  out  of  the  country  by 
the  Inquisition,  still  observe  the  customs,  songs  and  lan- 
guage of  their  immigrant  forefathers. 

The  Aragonese  also  have  a  national  game,  Tirando  a 
la  Barra,  which  consists  in  passing  an  iron  bar  from  one 
hand  to  the  other,  thereby  gaining  impetus  for  the  final 
swing  which  sends  it  hurtling  through  the  air  towards  a 
mark  on  the  ground,  like  a  javelin.  One  or  two  good  old 
houses  still  remain  in  Saragossa  to  testify  to  its  former 
greatness,  notably  that  of  the  great  Luna  family.  Two 
gigantic  uncouth  figures  with  clubs  stand  on  either  side 
of  the  doorway  which  is  the  centre  of  a  simple  but  good 
fagade.  The  cornice  above  is  very  heavy  and  the  eaves 
project  far  out,  a  feature  that  I  noticed  was  very  charac- 
teristic of  the  old  quarters  of  the  city.  It  was  in  this 
house  that  the  besieged,  during  the  French  war,  held 

[  241  ] 


CATHEDRAL   CITIES   OF   SPAIN 

their  councils.  The  Casa  Zaporta  can  boast  of  a  very 
fine  staircase  and  beautiful  patio  with  elegant  fluted 
columns  and  reliefs  and  medallions  breaking  the  span- 
drils.  A  few  other  good  houses  still  exist,  but  as  they  are 
in  the  old  quarters  of  the  city,  and  as  these  are  rapidly 
disappearing,  I  fear  that  Saragossa  will  not  contain  for 
long  anything  beyond  her  Cathedrals  that  is  of  tangible 
interest. 


[  242  ] 


SANTIAGO 

^^^^^HE  evening  train  from  Pontevedra  deposited 
m  ^1  me  sometime  about  midnight  at  Cernes,  the 
^^^^^  hamlet  outside  Santiago  where  the  line  ends. 
The  full  moon  during  the  latter  portion  of  the 
journey  had  been  a  source  of  endless  delight.  My  face 
was  glued  to  the  window  watching  the  ever-changing 
hills  and  valleys  through  which  the  train  crept,  shrouded 
in  that  mystery  which  obliterates  detail  and  suggests  so 
much  in  great  masses  of  subdued  light  and  deep  shade. 
I  reached  the  hotel,  procured  a  room,  threw  open  the 
window,  and  stood  on  the  balcony  listening  to  the  intense 
stillness  of  a  wonderful  night.  Suddenly  a  dull  rum- 
bling down  some  side  street  disturbed  my  reverie  of  the 
Santiago  of  days  gone  by.  The  only  thing  to  be  expected 
at  this  time  of  night  was  the  station  'bus,  but  I  heard  no 
clattering  hoofs  and  was  lost  in  surmise,  when  out  of  the 
dark  shadow  of  a  narrow  lane  into  the  moonlight  swung 
a  yoke  of  oxen  drawing  a  long  cart  with  slow  majestic 
pace.     But  what  a  cart!  a  low  sort  of  wooden  box  bal- 

[243] 


CATHEDRAL   CITIES   OF   SPAIN 

anced  between  two  solid  wooden  wheels.  The  rumbling 
was  explained.  It  was  primitive  and  the  most  mediaeval 
thing  I  had  yet  seen  in  a  country  which  is  barely 
European. 

The  peasant  owner,  a  few  steps  in  advance,  never 
turned  his  head,  but  guided  his  beasts  with  a  long  stick 
which  he  waved  from  side  to  side  over  his  back.  There 
was  no  shout,  no  cry  of  command.  The  mise  en  scene 
was  beautifully  arranged,  it  was  complete.  There  was 
the  background  of  ancient  grey  houses,  beyond  them, 
tapering  into  the  starry  sky,  the  slender  pinnacles  of  the 
great  Cathedral.  A  row  of  stunted  trees  occupied  places 
down  one  side  of  the  little  square  which  filled  my  stage. 
The  subdued  colour  and  silence  of  the  moonlit  night, 
and  the  slow  passage  of  the  ox-cart  as  it  passed  out  of 
sight,  bettered  Irving's  best  effects  at  the  Lyceum. 

A  clock  in  a  neighbouring  tower  struck  the  quarters, 
the  moment  had  arrived  for  the  anti-climax!  I  expected 
every  minute  to  see  a  door  open,  a  light  stream  across 
the  square,  a  cloaked  figure  steal  furtively  out,  and  dis- 
appear down  into  the  shadow  of  the  lane.  It  was  per- 
fect, nothing  could  have  been  arranged  better  as  an  in- 
troduction to  Santiago  de  Compostela. 

The  body  of  St.  James  landed  itself  at  Padron  on  the 
coast  not  far  from  Santiago,  and  his  bones  were  brought 
to  the  spot  when  now  stands  the  Cathedral.     In  the 

[244] 


1    * 


>  )      5  ) 


o 
< 

s 

<; 
a. 


SANTIAGO 

course  of  time  their  whereabouts  was  forgotten,  and  it 
remained  for  Bishop  Theodomir  to  rediscover  the  sacred 
spot  in  829,  guided  thither  by  a  star.  Hence  the  Campus 
Stellae — or  Compostela. 

The  shrine  of  the  saint  is  still  visited  by  innumerable 
pilgrims,  and  perhaps  more  arrive  in  Santiago  than  any 
other  city  of  Spain.  In  olden  days  so  great  was  the  num- 
ber that  "El  Camino  de  Santiago" — "The  road  to  San- 
tiago," gave  rise  to  the  Spanish  term  for  the  "milky 
way."  I  have  watched  them  in  the  Cathedral,  peasants, 
men  and  women,  come  from  afar,  to  judge  by  their  dress. 
They  each  carried  a  stafif  decorated  with  tufts  of  herbs 
and  little  star-shaped  pieces  of  bread  tied  on  with  gay  rib- 
bons. I  have  seen  women  making  the  round  of  the  altars 
in  the  different  chapels  with  great  bundles  of  clothes, 
through  which  were  thrust  umbrellas,  balanced  on  their 
heads.  They  never  lost  the  poise  of  their  burden  as  they 
knelt  and  rose  again.  But  of  all  the  pilgrims  I  saw,  one 
who  might  have  stepped  out  of  Chaucer's  pages  carried 
me  back  to  the  days  of  long  ago.  She  wore  a  short  skirt 
of  thick  brown  material,  sandals  protected  her  stock- 
inged feet,  from  her  girdle  hung  rosary,  scallop  shells 
and  a  stoneware  pilgrim's  bottle;  a  hooked  stafif  lent  sup- 
port to  her  bent,  travelled-stained  figure.  Her  leather 
wallet  was  stuffed  with  bread,  and  covering  her  short 
cropped  hair  was  a  grey  felt  hat,  mushroom  shaped.    A 

[247] 


CATHEDRAL   CITIES   OF   SPAIN 

little  black  dog  entered  the  Cathedral  with  her,  and 
squatted  silently  by  his  mistress's  side  as  she  knelt  pray- 
ing in  the  dim  light  of  a  grey  day.  Chaucer's  "  Wyt  of 
Bath"  had  made  a  pilgrimage  to  "  Seynt  Jame,"  and  my 
pilgrim  with  her  little  lame  companion  might  very  well 
have  been  with  him  too. 

The  Cathedral,  founded  in  1078,  was  built  on  the  site 
of  the  one  destroyed  by  Almanzor  in  997.  The  legend 
of  the  destruction  of  the  first  church,  which  had  been 
standing  for  just  one  hundred  years,  was  thus — Alman- 
zor, after  sacking  Leon  and  Astorga,  swept  all  the  coun- 
try westwards  with  his  Moorish  hosts  until  he  reached 
Santiago.  So  great  was  his  fame  and  in  such  terror  was 
his  name  held  that  no  one  had  the  courage  to  face  him 
and  fight  for  saint  and  city.  Riding  through  its  de- 
serted streets  he  came  to  the  church,  and  to  his  surprise  at 
last  espied  a  solitary  Christian,  a  monk,  praying  alone  at 
the  shrine  of  the  saint.  "What  dost  thou  here?"  in- 
quired the  haughty  Moor.  "  I  am  at  my  prayers,"  curtly 
answered  the  holy  man,  continuing  his  devotions.  This 
reply  and  the  courage  of  the  single  enemy  so  called  forth 
the  admiration  of  Almanzor,  that  his  life  was  spared  and 
an  infidel  guard  set  over  the  tomb. 

The  west  fagade,  a  Renaissance  outer  covering,  so  to 
speak,  of  the  older  facade,  would  not  look  so  imposing 
as  it  does  if  granite  had  not  been  used  in  its  construe- 

[248] 


>      5     > 


■)  i    J    1 


rf^'- 


SAXTIACO. 

Inlcrii/y  of   the  Catlu'dvdl. 


SANTIAGO 

tion.  The  grey  tones  of  the  lichen-covered  stone  redeem 
the  somewhat  overdone  florid  design,  and  it  stands  well 
above  a  double  flight  of  steps  on  the  east  side  of  the  huge 
Plaza  Mayor. 

The  south  door,  or  Puerta  de  las  Platerias,  takes  this 
name  from  the  silversmiths  whose  workshops  are  still 
under  the  arcades  around  the  Plaza  on  to  which  it  opens. 
It  is  the  oldest  portion  of  the  Cathedral  and  dates  from 
the  foundation.  The  shafts  contain  tiers  of  figures  in 
carved  niches,  and  the  tympanum  has  rows  of  smaller  ones. 

The  north  door  fronts  on  to  the  Plaza  Fuente  San 
Juan,  and  faces  the  convent  of  San  Martin  Pinario,  which 
was  founded  in  912  by  Ordono  II.  In  the  days  before 
this  Plaza  was  officially  given  its  present  name,  it  was 
known  as  Azabacheria,  azabache  is  jet,  and  it  was  here 
that  vast  quantities  of  rosaries  made  of  this  were  sold  to- 
pilgrims. 

In  the  south-east  angle  of  the  Cathedral  is  the  Puerta 
Santa,  bearing  the  inscription,  "  Haec  est  domus  Dei  et 
porta  cceli."  It  is  only  opened  in  the  Jubilee  year  and 
then  by  the  archbishop  himself.  The  entrance  to  it  is 
from  the  Plaza  de  los  Literarios.  It  will  be  seen  from 
this  that  the  Cathedral  is  practically  set  in  four  great 
Plazas,  el  Mayor,  de  las  Platerias,  la  Fuente  San  Juan, 
and  de  los  Literarios,  and  for  this  reason,  although  the 
roof  towers  high  above,  it  is  one  of  the  few  Cathedrals. 

[251] 


CATHEDRAL   CITIES   OF    SPAIN 

the  size  of  which  can  be  appreciated  by  an  exterior 
view. 

The  early  Romanesque  interior  is  superb,  and  not 
unlike  our  own  Ely  Cathedral.  The  finest  thing  in  it  of 
archaeological  interest  is  the  "  Portico  de  la  Gloria," 
which  Street  calls  "  one  of  the  greatest  glories  of  Chris- 
tian Art."  This  portico,  situated  at  the  west  end  of  .the 
nave,  formed  at  one  time  the  fagade.  The  idea  of  the 
whole  doorway  is  Christ  at  the  Last  Judgment.  His  fig- 
ure, twice  life-size,  occupies  the  centre.  Below  Him  is 
seated  St.  James,  while  around  them  are  angels  worship- 
ping. Four  and  twenty  elders  are  arranged  in  the  cir- 
cumference of  the  archivolt;  each  one  holds  a  musical 
instrument,  most  of  which  are  shaped  like  violas  and 
guitars.  A  most  beautifully  sculptured  marble  column 
supports  this  in  the  centre,  resting  on  a  base  of  devils, 
with  the  portrait  of  Maestro  Matio,  who  executed  the 
whole  from  his  own  designs,  facing  the  nave.  An  in- 
scription under  this  doorway  states  that  the  work  was  fin- 
ished in  1 1 88.  To  the  right  and  left  are  smaller  arches, 
portraying  in  well-cut  granite  good  souls  on  their  way  to 
Paradise  and  wicked  ones  in  the  clutches  of  devils  on 
their  way  to  Hell.  Nothing  can  exceed  the  primitive 
religious  feeling  pervading  this  work.  Mateo  must  have 
given  his  whole  soul  with  fervour  to  his  labours;  and  the 
almost  obliterated  traces   of  painting   and  gilding  en- 

[252] 


SANTIAGO 

hance  their  result  by  giving  a  touch  of  warmth  to  the 
cold  colour  of  the  stone. 

West  of  the  portico,  above  which  are  the  remains  of 
a  fine  wheel  window,  has  been  built  the  present  Renais- 
sance fagade  known  as  El  Obradorio,  the  two  being  con- 
nected by  quadripartite  vaulting.  The  nave  itself  has  a 
walled-in  triforium,  but  no  clerestory,  and  the  vaulting 
of  the  roof  is  barrel. 

The  saint's  shrine  is  in  the  crypt  beneath  the  Capilla 
Mayor.  The  extra  extravagant  retablo  above  the  High 
Altar  is  chirrigueresque,  and  hardly  redeemed  by  the 
lavish  employment  of  jasper,  alabaster  and  silver  with 
which  it  is  decorated.  A  jewelled  figure  of  St.  James 
is  seated  in  a  niche  above  the  mass  of  precious  metal  in 
which  the  altar  is  encased. 

It  is  all  very  gorgeous  and  must  impress  the  pious  pil- 
grim who  has  journeyed  hither  from  afar,  but  I  could 
not  help  wishing  it  were  simpler.  However,  the  one  liv- 
ing vital  thing  in  Spain  is  her  religion,  and  her  Church 
knows  so  well  how  to  conduct  its  business  that  my  feel- 
ings of  regret  are  purely  aesthetic. 

The  cimborio  is  a  fine  creation,  under  which  swings 
on  certain  fiestas  the  huge  silver  incensario,  a  lamp  well- 
nigh  six  feet  high.  The  two  bronze  pulpits  are  real  mas- 
terpieces of  cinquecento  art  and  are  adorned  by  subjects 
from  the  Old  Testament  by  Juan  Bantista  Celma. 

[253] 


CATHEDRAL   CITIES   OF   SPAIN 

In  one  of  the  side  chapels,  known  as  the  Relicario,  are 
recumbent  figures  on  the  tombs  of  Don  Ramon,  the  hus- 
band of  Urraca,  Berenguela  1187,  Fernando  II.  1226, 
Alfonso  XII.  of  Leon  1268,  and  that  faithful,  pitiable 
figure,  Juana  de  Castro,  wife  of  Pedro  the  Cruel.  Even 
now,  after  the  spoliation  by  Soult,  who  carried  away  ten 
hundredweight  of  precious  metal  in  sacred  vessels,  the 
Relicario  is  a  perfect  museum.  All  the  other  chapels 
contain  good  tombs,  especially  that  of  Espiritu  Santo  in 
the  north  transept;  and  among  other  beautiful  objects 
with  which  the  Cathedral  is  replete  are  two  ancient 
limosneras  or  alms-boxes,  two  very  ancient  gilt  pyxes,  a 
carved  wooden  cross,  similar  to  the  much-revered  cross 
of  los  Angeles  at  Oviedo,  given  by  Don  Alfonso  and 
Dona  Jimena  in  874. 

The  large  cloisters  to  the  south-west  of  the  Cathedral 
were  built  by  Archbishop  Fonseca  in  1521.  They  are 
bad  Gothic  enriched  with  Renaissance  details.  The  cen- 
tre court  is  paved  with  granite  and  gives  an  impression 
of  barreness  which  is  not  redeemed  by  the  architecture. 

It  was  in  this  Cathedral  that  John  of  Gaunt,  Duke  of 
Lancaster,  was  crowned  King  of  Spain. 

Santiago  possesses  a  much  frequented  university  which 
is  extremely  well  provided  with  books. 

In  the  church  of  Santa  Maria  de  la  Sar  may  be  seen 
relics  of  the  Holy  Office  which  held  its  sittings  in  the  ad- 

[254] 


SANTIAGO 

joining  monastery.  The  president's  chair,  marked  with 
a  palm,  a  cross  and  a  red  sword,  is  perhaps  the  most  not- 
able. This  monastic  church,  at  one  time  owned  by  Tem- 
plars, is  situated  outside  the  city  boundary  on  the  Orense 
road.  Like  all  the  others,  in  fact  like  the  whole  of  San- 
tiago, it  is  built  of  granite.  It  possesses  a  triple  apse; 
the  nave  is  of  five  bays  without  a  triforium  or  clerestory, 
and  the  interior,  in  consequence,  is  very  dark,  heavy  and 
gloomy.  In  it  is  the  tomb  of  Archbishop  Bernardo,  1242. 
The  cloister  at  one  time  must  have  been  exceptionally 
fine,  but  alas!  only  nine  arches  now  remain;  and  the 
whole  edifice  is  of  the  fast-crumbling  away  type  not  un- 
common in  the  country. 

The  fine  Plaza  Mayor,  or  Plaza  Alfonso  Doce,  is 
bounded  on  the  north  by  the  huge  Hospice  erected  by 
Enrique  de  Egas  for  Ferdinand  and  Isabella  for  the 
use  of  poor  pilgrims.  The  royal  coat-of-arms  is  in  evi- 
dence over  the  entrance  portal,  enriched,  in  addition, 
with  figures  of  saints  and  pilgrims.  The  massive  cornice 
has  a  course  of  heavy  chain  work  and  the  ball  decoration 
so  common  in  Toledo.  This  huge  pile  of  buildings  is 
now  used  as  a  hospital.  It  is  divided  into  four  courts 
with  fountains  and  is  admirably  adapted  for  its  present 
use.  The  small  chapel  is  one  of  the  gems  of  Santiago. 
The  roof  springs  from  four  arches  with  Gothic  statues 
and  niches  clustered  round  a  central  column. 

[255] 


CATHEDRAL  CITIES   OF   SPAIN 

On  the  west  side  of  the  Plaza  stands  the  great  Semi- 
nario  founded  in  1777  for  the  education  of  young  priests. 
The  ground  floor  is  now  occupied  as  the  Ayuntamiento 
of  Santiago. 

To  the  south  is  the  Collegio  de  San  Geronimo,  with 
a  remarkable  early  doorway.  The  college  was  known  as 
Tan  y  Sardina,  from  the  poverty  of  its  accommodation. 
Sardines,  the  staple  industry  of  Vigo  and  other  coast 
towns  of  the  district,  are  the  cheapest  food  obtainable, 
hence  the  appellation.  Santiago  is  delightfully  situated 
amidst  heather-clad  hills,  the  lower  slopes  of  which  are 
well  wooded  with  oak,  fir,  and  eucalyptus.  Great  boul- 
ders of  granite  stand  out  like  the  monoliths  of  p re-his- 
toric ages.  Many  a  pleasant  walk  through  the  purple 
heather  revealed  to  me  a  landscape  such  as  one  sees  in 
parts  of  Cornwall  and  Scotland.  The  grey  city  with  its 
red  tiled  roofs,  its  huge  deserted  monastic  buildings,  the 
many  spires  and  dome  of  the  Cathedral  and  other 
churches,  all  set  in  patches  of  brilliant  green  meadows 
and  maize  fields,  looks  particularly  beautiful  from  Monte 
Pedroso,  a  fine  vantage  point  surmounted  by  a  huge  Cal- 
vary. 

The  climate  is  comparatively  moist,  ferns  of  all  sorts 
grow  in  the  shade  of  garden  walls,  and  bracken  is  thick 
in  the  oak  woods.  The  Galician  is  well  favoured  by 
Nature,  and  being  a  patient,  hard-working  man  of  not 

[  as6  ] 


SANTIAGO 

much  mental  capacity,  very  pious  and  an  ardent  advocate 
of  small-holdings,  gets  through  life  with  a  contented 
spirit.  He  is  very  close  and  knows  the  value  of  a  peseta. 
Unfortunately  he  is  looked  down  upon  by  the  Castilian, 
and  the  term  **Gallego"  is  rather  one  of  abuse  than  re- 
spect. Driven  to  emigration  by  the  subdivision  of  land 
which  cannot  support  more  than  those  who  own  and 
work  it  now,  he  goes  south  in  great  numbers  and  is  the 
trusted  concierge  in  many  a  large  house  and  hotel  in 
Madrid  and  elsewhere.  The  Panama  Canal  too  attracts 
him  from  his  native  hills,  in  fact  the  Gallego  is  to  be  met 
wherever  Spanish  is  the  spoken  language. 


1 257  ] 


TUY 

©HE  train  deposited  me  one  morning  at  this 
little  frontier  town.     It  was  very  hot,  and  it 
was  Sunday.     The  only  porter  in  the  station 
volunteered  to  carry  my  bag  to  the  Fonda,  so 
we  joined  a  long  file  of  peasants  and  tramped  up  the 
dusty  road  to  the  old  Gothic  capital  which  stands  splen- 
didly situated  above  the  river  Minho. 

From  a  distance  the  Cathedral  rises  like  a  fort,  cap- 
ping the  white  houses  and  brown  roofs  which  are  ter- 
raced below.  At  one  time  in  the  far-away  past  Tuy  was 
a  town  of » great  importance.  Greek  remains  have  been 
dug  up  here,  but  history  does  not  go  further  back  than 
iEtolian  Diomede,  the  son  of  Tydeus,  who  founded  what 
became  under  King  Witiza  the  Gothic  capital.  This 
was  in  the  year  700.  Ordono  I.  rebuilt  it  two  hundred 
years  later,  and  I  did  not  find  it  difficult  to  trace  the  mas- 
sive granite  walls  which  sheltered  the  inhabitants,  and 
preserved  it  as  the  most  important  city  of  these  parts. 

Truly  a  crown  to  the  fortress,  the  castellated  walls  of 
the  Cathedral  give  it  a  martial  air.    The  nave  of  five 

[258] 


>  5  ,      '       1     3  > 

'  1      l'      J  1        > 

11  111  1 


'  ■■       \        l'     '    -l' 

•  1  1  '  1  '     1       3 


TUY 

bays  Is  early  pointed,  with  a  blind  triforium  and  blocked 
up  clerestory.  So  narrow  and  dark  are  the  aisles  and  so 
massive  the  columns  which  support  the  fine  vaulting  of 
the  roof,  that  I  could  never  get  rid  of  the  feeling  that  I 
was  in  some  great  hall  of  an  ancient  castle.  It  only 
wanted  a  few  halberdiers  or  men-at-arms,  instead  of  the 
black-garbed  peasant  women  kneeling  at  the  different 
altars,  to  make  the  illusion  perfect. 

The  transepts,  which  have  aisles,  are  Romanesque  with 
an  early  pointed  triforium.  After  the  great  earthquake 
at  Lisbon  many  strengthening  additions  were  made  to 
the  interior,  blocking  out  most  of  the  light.  In  the  case 
of  the  aisles  arches  were  run  up  at  different  intervals 
with  no  sense  of  proportion,  quite  haphazard,  and  cre- 
ating a  very  much  askew  appearance  in  this  part  of  the 
building.  Transoms  were  built  across  the  nave  to  add  to 
the  disfigurement  of  one  of  the  most  perfect  little  Cathe- 
drals in  Spain. 

The  west  doorway  is  very  fine,  with  four  detached 
columns  on  either  side,  thus  forming  a  narrow  porch. 
The  upper  half  of  these  columns  each  consists  of  a  good 
figure  of  a  saint  whose  feet  rest  on  a  devil.  In  the  tympa- 
num are  good  reliefs  and  a  well-cut  Adoration  of  the 
Magi.  The  archivolt  is  seven-fold  and  is  an  excellent 
piece  of  rich  carving.  All  is  granite,  and  all  is  solemn, 
quite  in  keeping  with  this  hard  material. 

[26.] 


CATHEDRAL   CITIES   OF   SPAIN 

The  Cloister  Court,  round  which  runs  a  most  beauti- 
ful arcade  of  early  pointed  work  with  detached  shafts, 
has  unfortunately  fallen  into  decay.  But  the  charming 
little  garden  in  the  centre  somewhat  compensates  for  this. 
When  I  strolled  in  the  silence  was  only  broken  by  the 
cooing  of  doves  and  the  hum  of  bees.  The  sun  seemed 
to  find  his  way  into  every  nook  and  cranny,  and  here, 
thought  I,  is  peace. 

Away  beyond  the  outer  wall,  a  wall  which  is  part  of 
the  old  defence  of  Ordofio's  day,  is  the  road  to  Portugal. 
Passing  through  vineyards  it  reaches  the  river  a  mile 
distant  and  crosses  the  water  by  a  very  fine  bridge.  It 
was  from  this  road  that  I  made  my  sketch  of  the  quaint 
old-world  town.  Down  by  the  river  at  the  end  of  the  one 
broad  street  that  Tuy  possesses  is  the  old  Convent  of 
Santo  Domingo.  Now  a  barrack,  it  still  keeps  it  grand 
Transitional  church.  The  chancel  is  extremely  fine  and 
among  its  many  tombs  a  knight  in  armour  with  his  lady 
at  his  side  I  thought  the  best.  On  the  grassy  platform  in 
front  of  the  church  I  spent  one  or  two  pleasant  evenings. 
The  river  flows  below  and  the  mountains  of  Portugal 
rise  sublimely  from  the  opposite  bank.  I  was  decidedly, 
pleased  with  my  short  sojourn  in  this  typical  Spanish 
town,  the  wonderful  position  of  which,  right  on  the 
frontier  overlooking  another  land,  makes  it  one  of  Spain's 
most  unique  Cathedral  cities. 

[262] 


ORENSE 

IN  the  gold  district,"  such  is  the  meaning  of 
Orense.  In  Roman  days  it  was  the  headquar- 
ters for  working  the  gold  in  which  the  district 
abounded. 
Three  warm  springs,  situated  close  to  the  road  which 
leads  out  of  the  town  to  the  south-west,  also  brought 
fame  to  Orense,  though  they  possessed,  apparently,  no 
medicinal  properties.  Nowadays  the  poorer  classes  use 
the  water  for  domestic  purposes,  thereby  saving  fires. 

In  Visigothic  times  Orense  was  the  capital  of  the 
Suevi,  and  was  the  scene  of  the  renunciation  of  Paganism 
by  this  tribe.  Besides  its  warm  springs  the  town  boasts 
of  two  other  wonders,  its  bridge  and  its  Cathedral.  The 
former  is  certainly  a  grand  piece  of  work.  The  centre 
arch  rises  one  hundred  and  thirty-five  feet  above  the 
river  Minho,  with  a  magnificent  span  of  one  hundred 
and  forty  feet.  Of  the  six  remaining  arches  some  are 
pointed  and  some  are  round. 

The  Cathedral  is  a  most  interesting  structure,  more's 

[263] 


CATHEDRAL   CITIES   OF   SPAIN 

the  pity  it  is  so  little  known.  Built  on  an  artificial  plat- 
form to  throw  it  out  from  the  hillside,  it  rises  well  above 
the  neighbouring  roofs.  Silversmiths  and  metal  workers 
ply  their  trades  in  the  dark  shops  between  the  buttresses 
which  hold  up  this  platform  on  three  sides. 

There  is  nothing  much  to  attract  one  in  the  exterior 
of  the  Cathedral  except  the  Gothic  north  and  south 
doors.  They  both  have  rounded  arches  with  good  figures 
in  the  jambs  and  archivolts.  The  south  is  the  better  of 
the  two,  as  the  north  bears  traces  of  alteration,  the  case  in 
the  whole  appearance  of  the  exterior.  A  third  door 
opens  in  the  second  bay  west  of  the  north  aisle,  and  is 
approached  from  the  street  below  by  steps  leading  up 
between  two  shops.  The  massive  north-w^est  tower  is 
adjoining  and  stands  over  perhaps  half  a  dozen  small 
rooms  where  all  day  long  the  musical  tap  of  the  metal 
workers'  hammers  is  heard. 

The  side  chapels  of  the  interior  are  all  recessed,  and 
standing  in  the  south-west  corner  of  the  Cathedral  I 
obtained  an  uninterrupted  view  for  my  sketch  along  the 
south  aisle  into  the  apse.  There  is  no  triforium  in  the 
nave,  but  a  beautiful  lancet  clerestory  enhances  both 
this  and  the  aisles.  I  thought  the  octagon  at  the  crossing 
extremely  good.  Two  rows  of  lights,  one  above  the 
other,  have  an  interior  gallery  with  an  unobtrusive  balus- 
trade round  each.    The  supporting  corbels  are  well-cut 

[264] 


''ill      '  '   '   '  1 

»    «  '  1  1  1    ,   1  1    '  l' 

.    .  •  1  ,  1    ,  1  .   .   , 

♦       >    '     1 !    1         1       » 

. ' .      .     ,       '"'>'..;>•■■■, 

•        •.»»       ''      1,1,  '>>''' 
,   •  ,  •  .  >i.  '  '        ' 


OltKNSK. 
In   the  Cathedral. 


ORENSE 

bosses.  The  spandrils  between  the  arches  are  recessed 
with  well-carved  figures  of  angels  and  archangels  play- 
ing on  musical  instruments.  Of  course  this  octagon 
bears  no  comparison  with  that  at  Burgos,  it  is  much 
simpler  and  much  smaller,  but  has  a  tentative  beauty 
of  its  own. 

The  transepts  are  of  earlier  date,  and  have  been  altered, 
though  not  injudiciously.  The  coro  is  small,  very  dark 
and  solemn,  and  in  this  respect  bears  favourable  com- 
parison with  many  another  which  may  be  far  finer.  Its 
re]a,  like  that  of  the  Capilla  Mayor,  is  a  very  good  ex- 
ample of  wrought  and  hammered  iron  work,  and  does 
credit  to  the  skill  of  those  who  no  doubt  sat  in  the  little 
shops  below  giving  their  life-work  to  the  adornment  of 
the  church  above. 

The  High  Altar  is  a  mass  of  silver  with  a  background 
of  glittering  carving  which  forms  the  gilded  retablo. 
The  warm  yellow  of  the  Cathedral  stone  and  the  time- 
worn  colour  of  the  figures  which  decorate  this  retablo 
have  a  very  pleasing  effect  to  the  eye.  The  ashes  of 
Santa  Eufemia,  Orense's  patroness,  rest  beneath  her 
effigy,  which  stands  to  the  south  of  the  High  Altar,  and 
those  of  SS.  Facundo  and  Primivo  under  theirs  on  the 
north  side.  Santa  Eufemia's  body  was  found  by  a  poor 
shepherdess  lying  out  on  the  mountain  slopes  of  the 
Portuguese  border,  and  was  brought  here  to  rest. 

[267] 


CATHEDRAL   CITIES   OF   SPAIN 

The  Cathedral  is  full  of  fine  tombs,  among  which  that 
of  Cardinal  Quintata  in  Carrara  marble  is  the  best.  It 
is  placed  on  the  north  side  of  the  chancel  facing  a  much 
earlier  Gothic  tomb  with  a  well-carved  canopy  which 
stands  on  the  south  side.  The  present  edifice  was  founded 
in  1 220  by  Bishop  Lorenzo,  displacing  the  older  church 
erected  in  550  and  dedicated  to  Saint  Martin. 

Wandering  at  random  up  the  narrow  streets  which 
covered  the  hill  I  found  myself  outside  the  Convent  of 
San  Francisco.  Like  so  many  institutions  of  a  kindred 
nature  it  is  now  a  barrack,  and  difficult  of  access.  How- 
ever, I  managed  to  get  in  and  found  the  chief  interest 
centred  in  the  cloisters.  They  are  beautiful  relics  of  the 
thirteenth  century.  Sixty  arches  complete  the  arcade, 
with  coupled  shafts  standing  free.  The  capitals  are 
well  carved  and  the  dog-tooth  moulding  above  them  has 
not  suffered  much  from  the  ravages  of  time. 

Here,  as  in  other  towns  where  money  in  late  mediaeval 
days  was  scarce,  it  is  pleasant  to  find  untouched  remains 
of  an  earlier  past.  The  streets  are  mostly  arcaded  and 
very  tortuous  and  quaint.  The  market  is  held  on  the 
Plaza  of  the  Cathedral,  and  fruit  vendors  sit  in  the  sun 
on  the  steps  which  lead  into  the  Holy  Fane.  The  Ala- 
medas  are  thronged  at  night  with  a  crowd  which,  for 
Spain,  seemed  to  take  life  seriously. 

I  had  finished  my  usual  after-dinner  stroll  one  even- 

[268] 


ORENSE 

ing,  and  returned  to  my  hotel.  It  was  a  balmy  night  and 
I  pulled  my  chair  out  on  to  the  balcony.  The  lights  in 
the  cottages  on  the  hill  opposite  went  out  one  by  one, 
and  away  down  below,  amongst  the  dark  foliage  of  a 
vineyard,  I  heard  the  sound  of  a  guitar.  A  voice  breathed 
out  a  love  song,  and  once  more  I  felt  the  romance  of  the 
South — that  indescribable  feeling  which  comes  over  one 
when  nerves  are  attune  to  enchanting  surroundings. 


[269] 


ASTORGA 

QO,  you  won't  find  much  for  your  brush  to  do  in 
Astorga,  senor" — was  the  answer  to  a  query 
addressed  to  a  fellow  passenger  in  the  train. 
I  fear  he  was  not  far  wrong,  though  I  knew 
with  the  Cathedral  I  should  not  be  disappointed. 

It  was  a  wet  evening,  and  I  landed  at  the  station  in  the 
dark;  gave  my  traps  to  a  porter,  and  found  myself  after 
a  tramp  through  the  mud  at  the  only  Fonda  in  the  place. 
My  baggage  was  deposited  in  a  sort  of  glorified  cup- 
board containing  a  bed.  The  small  window  had  no 
glass,  and  I  discovered  the  next  day  that  it  opened  on  to 
the  stables.  I  objected  to  these  quarters,  and  later  on  in 
the  evening  my  belongings  were  moved  into  a  room  just 
vacated  by  some  one  who  had  gone  on  to  Madrid  in 
el  rapid 0. 

The  next  morning  I  made  my  way  to  the  Cathedral. 
It  stands  well  and  quite  isolated,  except  for  the  *'New 
Art"  Bishop's  Palace  which  is  in  course  of  erection.  The 
Cathedral  is  late  Gothic,  built  in  the  fifteenth  and  six- 

[270] 


ASTORGA 

teenth  centuries  on  the  site  of  a  former  church.  The  In-^ 
terior  is  lofty  and  very  beautiful,  though  spoilt  by  a  bad 
trascoro  in  execrable  taste  and  quite  out  of  keeping  with 
the  elegant  columns  of  the  nave.  This  consists  of  seven 
bays.  The  bases  of  the  piers  run  up  ten  feet  or  more, 
and  resemble  the  later  additions  to  Leon  Cathedral  and 
those  of  Oviedo.  The  intersecting  mouldings  on  them 
are  the  very  last  style  of  Gothic  work  and  exemplify  the 
beginning  of  a  more  florid  taste.  There  is  no  triforium. 
The  clerestory  windows  are  of  unusual  height,  as  at 
Leon,  and  are  filled  with  very  fine  glass. 

The  aisles  are  also  very  lofty.  The  chapels  attached 
to  that  on  the  north  have  their  vaulting  carried  up  to  the 
height  of  the  aisle,  a  very  unusual  feature.  All  the  win- 
dows on  this  side,  with  one  exception,  are  blocked.  In 
the  south  aisle  the  vaulting  of  the  lateral  chapels  is  low. 
The  windows  are  glazed  and  contain  good  glass;  and  in. 
the  first  chapel  from  the  west  is  a  very  fine  early  German 
retablo. 

The  transepts  arc  of  one  bay  only.  The  south  has  per- 
haps the  best  glass  in  a  Cathedral  which  is  specially  rich 
in  this. 

There  is  much  good  iron  work  in  the  different  rejas, 
and  the  walnut  silleria  in  the  coro  are  exceptionally  well 
carved.  But  the  gem  of  the  Cathedral  is  undoubtedly 
the  magnificent  retablo  over  the  High  Altar.     Its  aii- 

[271] 


CATHEDRAL   CITIES   OF   SPAIN 

thor,  Caspar  Becerra,  was  a  native  of  Baeza,  and  studied 
in  Italy  under  Michael  Angelo.  It  is  his  masterpiece, 
and  well  merits  the  title.  Of  the  fourteen  panels,  The 
Disputation  and  Ascension  are  the  best.  The  exterior  of 
this  lofty  church  is  much  enhanced  by  its  flying  but- 
tresses. The  west  facade  is  good  Renaissance  work,  with 
flanking  towers,  only  one  of  which  is,  however,  finished. 
A  flying  buttress  connects  them  with  the  centre  of  the 
fagade  as  at  Leon,  in  fact  I  could  not  help  drawing  com- 
parison, when  I  knew  them  both,  between  these  two 
Cathedrals. 

The  warm  red  stone  of  which  this  at  Astorga  is  built 
has  weathered  most  beautifully,  and  contrasts  with  the 
grey  balustrade  composed  of  figures  holding  hands — a 
very  quaint  device,  by  the  way — which  adorns  the  ridge 
above  the  clerestory.  At  the  south-east  corner,  instead 
of  the  usual  pinnacle,  a  huge  weathercock  stands.  It  is 
a  wooden  statue  of  Pedro  Mato,  a  celebrated  Maragato, 
in  the  dress  of  his  tribe. 

La  Maragateria  is  a  territory  of  small  extent  in  the 
middle  of  which  Astorga  is  situated.  The  inhabitants, 
the  Maragatos,  mix  with  no  one.  They  live  exclusively 
to  themselves,  preserve  their  costume  and  their  customs, 
and  never  marry  out  of  their  own  clan.  The  men  hire 
themselves  out  as  carriers,  the  women  stay  at  home  and 
work.     It  is  supposed  that  as  they  have  many  Arabic 

[272] 


>     >  > 


■J 

o 

H 


ASTORGA 

words  still  in  use,  they  are  a  remnant  of  the  Moorish 
occupation  left  behind  when  Christian  armies  finally 
swept  the  Infidel  back  into  the  south.  This  may  be  so, 
for  the  Moors  are  past  masters  at  caravan  work,  and  the 
Maragatos  are  the  great  carriers  of  Spain.  When  on 
the  road  their  strings  of  mules  take  precedence,  and 
everything  clears  out  of  their  way.  The  men  dress  in 
loose  baggy  knickers  and  the  women  attire  themselves 
in  short  red  or  canary-coloured  skirts  with  green  or  light 
blue  lining;  one  pleat  remains  open  and  shows  either  of 
these  colours.  They  wear  white  stockings,  black  shoes, 
and  very  gaily-coloured  handkerchiefs  cover  their  heads. 
On  a  Sunday  they  swarm  into  the  town,  going  off  in  the 
evening  at  sundown  to  their  dififerent  villages  in  pictur- 
esque chattering  throngs.  Twice  a  year  the  whole  tribe 
assembles  at  the  feasts  of  Corpus  Christi  and  the  Ascen- 
sion, when  they  dance  for  an  hour,  el  Canizo,  a  dance 
which  if  an  outsider  dare  join  in  is  immediately  stopped. 
I  had  heard  a  great  deal  of  the  dignity  of  the  Span- 
iard, before  I  went  to  Spain,  and  had  failed  to  find  that 
this  reputation  was  at  all  justified,  except  in  the  case  of 
the  Guardia  Civil,  until  I  came  across  the  Maragatos.  I 
found  them  to  be  amongst  the  most  self-respecting  and 
courteous  folk  that  one  could  meet  anywhere;  they  cer- 
tainly are  amongst  the  most  interesting  of  the  many  dis- 
tinct tribes  that  people  the  Peninsula. 

'  [  275  ] 


CATHEDRAL   CITIES   OF   SPAIN 

Astorga,  the  Asturian  Augusta  of  the  Romans,  is  de- 
scribed by  Pliny  as  a  "magnificent  city."  It  was  once 
the  capital  of  southern  Asturia  and  was  always  an  im- 
portant outpost  fortress.  As  indicative  of  its  strength  I 
may  mention  that  Astorga  bears  for  arms  a  branch  of 
oak. 

Like  Leon,  the  importance  of  its  position  as  a  base, 
both  for  those  who  lived  in  the  mountains  to  the  north 
and  west,  as  well  as  for  those  who  came  from  the  plain, 
was  always  appreciated,  and  was  for  ever  a  bone  of  con- 
tention between  the  inhabitants  of  these  districts.  The 
Bishopric  was  founded  in  747  by  Alfonso  el  Catolico,  but 
no  man  of  note  has  ever  been  appointed  to  the  See  as 
far  as  I  could  discover.  Indeed,  Astorga  is  another  of 
those  old  Spanish  cities  which  are  passed  by  in  the  train, 
with  the  remark — *'  How  nice  the  old  walls  look,  I  do 
wish  we  had  time  to  stop  here." 

A  saunter  round  the  walls  I  must  own  is  very  disap- 
pointing. It  is  so  evident  that  but  little  veneration  is 
felt,  or  respect  shown,  for  any  antiquities  or  historical 
associations.  In  may  places  they  have  been  pulled  about 
for  the  sake  of  the  building  materials  they  yielded.  They 
are  the  rubble  heaps  of  Astorga  and  have  fallen  into  sad 
decay.  One  portion  is,  however,  preserved.  In  the  south 
corner,  where  a  pretty  little  paseo  garden  affords  shade 
and  a  pleasant  promenade,  a  splendid  view  is  obtained 

[276] 


ASTORGA 

"  over  the  hills  and  far  away."  Here,  at  any  rate,  resto- 
ration has  been  undertaken  for  the  sake  of  the  common 
ground  where  men  and  women  walk,  as  custom  dictates, 
every  evening. 

At  the  spot  where  the  Cathedral  stands  a  great  deal 
of  demolition  has  taken  place,  and  even  to-day  the  huge 
new  chateau-like  palace  of  the  bishop,  now  in  process 
of  erection,  closes  in  a  fine  space  and  detracts  from  the 
little  antiquity  which  is  left  in  this  corner  of  Astorga. 
Such  is  modern  taste  in  Spain.  Besides  its  walls,  Astorga 
is  celebrated  for  its  mantecadas,  small  square  sponge- 
cakes, neatly  folded  in  pieces  of  greased  paper,  which 
find  their  way  all  over  this  part  of  the  country;  but  the 
farther  off  you  find  them  the  less  do  they  resemble  the 
originals,  and  these  are  very  good. 


[277] 


ZAMORA 

©RAVELLING  through  the  great  plain  of 
Leon  by  train  is  apt  to  become  intensely 
monotonous,  especially  when,  as  in  the  case  of 
reaching  Zamora,  fate  decreed  that  I  should 
sit  baking  for  hours  in  the  slowest  train  of  all,  the  undesir- 
able mercantilo.  Very  few  villages  enlivened  the  yellow 
landscape,  which,  bare  of  vegetation,  lay  blistering  under 
the  midday  sun;  those  that  were  visible  were  all  tapia 
built  with  unglazed  lights,  and  seemed  to  have  grown 
outwards  from  the  little  brown-walled  churches  in  their 
midst.  On  rising  ground  beyond  the  limits  of  these  sad- 
looking  hamlets,  I  could  see  the  dwellings  of  the  poorest 
of  the  poor.  Dug  out  of  the  bank-sides,  they  resemble 
rabbit  holes  more  than  anything  else.  A  door  gives  light, 
ventilation  and  access  to  the  interior,  a  tiny  chimney 
sticking  out  of  the  ground  above  carries  off  the  extra 
fumes  of  smoke.  Life  inside  must  be  nearer  that  of  the 
beasts  than  that  of  any  other  race  in  Europe;  and  as  the 
slow  mercantilo  crawled  along  I  had  plenty  of  time  to 

[278] 


ZAMORA 

note  the  stunted  growth  and  weariea  mien  of  those  whose 
day  of  toil  ends  in  these  burrows  under  the  earth.  In 
many  places,  the  year's  vintage  is  stored  in  these  subter- 
ranean holes.  At  last  the  train  crept  into  the  station  and 
I  read  the  name  of  my  destination  on  its  wall. 

Zamora  adds  another  to  the  list  of  those  very  inter- 
esting old  cities  of  Spain  which  still  have  a  remnant  of 
their  ancient  walls  left  standing.  Known  at  one  time  as 
Ocellum  Duri,  "  The  eye  of  the  Douro,"  from  its  strate- 
gical position  on  that  barrier  river,  it  still  bears  many 
traces  of  a  glorious  past.  Of  old,  an  outpost  for  defence 
against  the  Infidel  of  the  south,  with  its  natural  barrier, 
Zamora  nevertheless  changed  hands  many  times.  The 
veracious  chronicler  records  how  in  939  Ramiro  II.  came 
to  the  city's  relief  and  slew  forty  thousand  Moors,  their 
whole  force,  in  fact,  to  a  man! — only  to  be  revenged  a 
few  years  later  by  the  all-conquering  Almanzor. 

Ferdinand  I.  in  1065  rebuilt  the  defences  which  this 
redoubtable  warrior  had  levelled  and  presented  the  city 
to  his  daughter  Urraca,  whose  son,  Alfonso  VL,  was  the 
first  King  of  united  Leon  and  Castile.  Zamora  figures, 
too,  in  the  Cid's  meteoric  life.  He  appointed  Geronimo, 
his  confessor,  who  lies  buried  in  Salamanca,  to  the 
Bishopric,  and  when  Sancho  besieged  the  place,  it  being 
then  held  by  Urraca,  the  defence  was  so  excellent  that 
*'no  se  tomo  Zamora  en  una  hora"   (Zamora  was  not 

[279] 


CATHEDRAL   CITIES   OF   SPAIN 

taken  in  one  hour)  became  a  proverb.  It  was  at  this 
siege  that  five  Moorish  sheiks  brought  the  Cid  tribute 
and  saluted  him  as  "  Campeador." 

There  are  more  tangible  remains  of  the  quaint  old 
city's  importance  to  be  found  in  its  Cathedral  and  streets 
than  its  proverbs  and  anecdotes.  Here  is  the  house  of 
Urraca,  with  an  almost  obliterated  inscription  over  the 
gateway — "Afuera!  Afueral  Rodrigo  el  soberbio  Cas- 
tellano" — culled  from  the  ballad  of  Cid,  and  referring 
to  his  exclusion  from  the  place. 

In  the  church  of  San  Pedro  y  Ildefonso  are  a  couple 
of  fine  bronze-gilt  shrines  containing  the  remains  of  SS. 
Ildefonso  and  Atilano.  The  Romanesque  church  of  the 
Templars,  La  Magdelena,  dates  from  the  twelfth  cen- 
tury. Its  rose  window  is  formed  with  small  columns  like 
the  Temple  Church  in  London;  and  within  are  some 
beautiful  tombs. 

The  Hospital  is  a  good  building  with  an  overhanging 
porch,  very  effectively  coloured  and  having  the  appear- 
ance of  glazed  tiles.  Many  old  houses  of  the  nobility 
now  slumber  tranquilly  in  slow  decay,  and  Zamora,  like 
so  many  other  Spanish  towns  of  its  class,  seems  left  be- 
hind in  the  modern  hurry  of  life;  and  this  is  one  of  its 
greatest  charms,  the  charm  that  is  so  typical  of  old  Spain. 

The  Cathedral  abuts  on  to  the  city  wall  and  is  almost 
surrounded  by  a  bare  piece  of  ground,  where  the  re- 

[280] 


ts: 


ZAMORA 

mains  of  dismantled  fortifications  give  a  deserted  and 
forlorn  air  to  the  very  unecclesiastical  aspect  of  the  ex- 
terior. I  made  a  sketch  among  these  ruins  and  could  not 
help  feeling  the  result  looked  more  like  an  Eastern  farm 
enclosure  than  a  really  fine  Cathedral.  There  was  the 
huge  unfinished  square  tower,  baked  a  brilliant  yellow, 
the  cimborio  and  dome,  with  its  eight  curious  little 
domes,  all  roofed  in  cement,  and  a  copy  of  it,  if  not  con- 
temporary with,  the  same  in  the  old  Cathedral  of  Sala- 
manca; the  low  mud  walls  and  almost  flat  roofs;  a  party 
of  peasants  in  a  sort  of  nomad  encampment,  innumerable 
fowls  pecking  at  the  dust — what  more  could  you  have  to 
remind  one  of  the  East.  The  sun  was  broiling,  and  noth- 
ing disturbed  this  "bit"  of  the  Spain  of  long  ago. 

The  exterior  of  the  Cathedral  has  been  much  marred 
by  the  poor  Renaissance  north  facade,  not  visible  in  my 
drawing,  and  a  tower  with  a  slate  roof.  The  south  porch 
is,  however,  intact,  and  from  it,  for  the  building  stands 
high  above  the  Douro,  the  view  must  have  been  grand 
before  the  Bishop's  Palace  was  built  and  obliterated  the 
whole  prospect.  A  dozen  steps,  narrowing  as  they  ap- 
proach the  portal,  lead  up  to  the  door  which  is  sur- 
rounded by  four  good  round  arches  with  scroll  mould- 
ings of  simple  design.  Inside  this  I  found  myself  in  the 
south  transept. 

The  interior,  with  the  exception  of  that  portion  east 

[283] 


CATHEDRAL   CITIES   OF    SPAIN 

of  the  crossing,  which  is  poor  Renaissance  with  perpen- 
dicular vaulting,  is  exceedingly  massive.  The  nave  is 
but  twenty-five  feet  in  width,  the  columns  which  support 
the  bays  are  ten  feet  through;  the  aisles  are  very  narrow, 
but  so  good  are  the  proportions  of  all  these  that  this 
miniature  Cathedral  is  one  of  the  finest  Romanesque 
churches  in  the  country. 

The  cimborio  is  round  in  plan  with  sixteen  windows 
from  which  the  ribs  of  the  vaulting  spring.  Unfortu- 
nately the  columns  have  been  decorated  with  a  spiral 
pattern  of  a  chocolate  colour,  quite  destroying  the  beauty 
and  simple  grandeur  of  a  feature  which  for  simplicity 
ranks  next  to  that  of  the  Catedral  Vieja  at  Salamanca. 

In  the  Capilla  del  Cardenal  at  the  west  end  of  the  nave 
is  a  very  fine  retabio  divided  into  six  panels  painted  by 
Gallegos,  whose  signature  is  on  the  central  one.  I  was 
examining  this  one  morning  when  an  old  priest  passed 
through  into  the  adjoining  sacristy.  He  stopped  and 
explained  the  subjects  to  me,  taking  particular  interest 
in  this  when  he  learnt  I  was  a  painter  and  what  my  mis- 
sion to  Zamora  was.  I  cannot  forget  his  courtesy  and 
pride  while  showing  me  some  of  the  treasures  the  Cathe- 
dral possesses,  and  shared  his  regret  that  the  wonderful 
tapestries  were  only  on  view  at  certain  festivals.  In  this 
chapel  are  some  good  tombs  of  the  great  Romero  family, 
others  too  of  interest  are  in  the  Capilla  de  San  Miguel, 

[  284  ] 


ZAMORA 

and  the  finest  of  all,  that  of  Canon  Juan  de  Grado,  has 
the  genealogy  of  the  Virgin  sculptured  above  the  efEgy 
of  the  Canon.  I  was  very  grateful  for  the  seats  which 
here  are  available  for  a  rest  and  quiet  examination  of  the 
church.  In  Burgos  is  the  only  other  Cathedral  where  it 
is  possible  to  sit  and  gaze. 


[285] 


LEON 

ITUATED   on  the   edge  of   the   great   plain 
which  stretches  away  south  to  the  Sierra  de 
Credos  and  beyond  to  Toledo,  Leon  served  as 
a  sort  of  buffer  town  between  the  Highlanders 
of  the  north  and  the  dwellers  on  the  Castilian  uplands. 

The  headquarters  of  the  seventh  Roman  Legion,  from 
which  the  name  is  derived,  it  may  be  described  as  a  great 
fortress  of  bygone  days.  Astorga,  some  thirty  miles 
westwards,  being  an  outpost  in  that  direction  no  doubt 
helped  to  preserve  Leon  from  ravages  of  the  Galician 
Visigoths. 

The  Romans  held  their  fortress  for  five  hundred  years 
until  Leovigild  in  586  captured  it  after  a  long  and  strenu- 
ous siege.  So  highly  was  the  position  and  strength  of 
these  two  towns  appreciated,  that  when  Witiza,  the  King 
of  the  Goths,  issued  a  decree  levelling  all  defensive  works 
to  the  ground,  they  were  exempted  and  their  fortifica- 
tions preserved. 
The  Moors  held  Leon  for  a  very  short  spell,  and  then 

[286] 


LEON 

only  as  a  defence  against  northern  invasion.  When  Or- 
donb  I.  descended  from  his  mountain  fastnesses  and  drove 
them  out,  Leon  changed  front  with  its  new  occupants, 
and  became  a  stronghold  to  be  held  at  all  costs  against 
invaders  from  the  south. 

The  great  Almanzor,  in  his  victorious  march  north 
with  the  soldiery  of  Cordova,  swept  away  all  opposition 
and  this  buffer  town  was  sacked.  However,  after  his 
defeat  at  Calatanavor  and  subsequent  death,  the  banner 
of  Christ  was  once  more  unfurled  to  the  breeze  from 
what  little  was  left  of  its  walls. 

These  were  almost  entirely  rebuilt  of  tapia  and  cob- 
stones  by  Alfonso  V.,  since  whose  time  the^'-  have  re- 
mained or  slowly  fallen  away. 

Leon  stands  in  a  verdant  pasture  valley  intersected  by 
many  streams  and  shady  roads  lined  with  tall  poplars. 
The  .fields  on  either  side  are  divided  from  one  another 
by  hedges  and  willow  trees;  thick  scrub  follows  the 
streams  and  grows  down  to  the  water  edge,  and  walking 
in  these  pleasant  places  it  was  not  difficult  to  imagine  my- 
self back  in  England.  The  city  itself  is  really  little  bet- 
ter than  a  big  village,  and  considering  the  important  part 
it  has  played  in  the  history  of  Spain,  seems  sadly  neglected 
and  left  out  in  the  cold.  This,  too,  despite  the  fact  that 
it  is  an  important  junction  and  railway  centre.  There 
are  no  buildings  of  any  present  importance,  and  those 

[287] 


CATHEDRAL   CITIES   OF   SPAIN 

that  once  could  lay  claim  to  this  are  in  a  state  of  decay. 
It  is  only  on  Sundays  and  market  days,  when  the  peas- 
ants in  picturesque  costume  and  gay  colours  come  in,  that 
Leon  can  boast  of  the  smallest  animation.  I  remember 
one  Sabbath  evening  as  I  stood  on  my  balcony,  that  van* 
tage  ground  from  which  one  sees  all  the  life  of  the  place 
pass  by  in  the  street  below,  watching  the  folk  parade  up 
and  down.  A  military  band  discoursed  "brassy"  music, 
the  crowd  was  packed  as  tight  as  sardines  in  a  tin,  when 
suddenly  the  "Toot,  toot!"  of  a  motor  horn  was  heard 
above  the  clash  of  cymbals  and  boom  of  the  drum.  A 
large  car  came  down  a  by-street  opposite,  turned  sharply 
and  charged  the  crowd.  The  Spaniard  is  of  an  excitable 
temperament;  loud  cries  of  disapproval,  and  screams 
from  the  gentler  sex  drowned  all  else.  The  chauffeur 
discovered  his  mistake  none  too  soon  and  attempted  to 
turn  the  car.  At  this  the  uproar  grew  louder  and  he 
brought  it  to  a  standstill.  Youths  climbed  the  steps,  boys 
hung  on  behind,  "  Toot,  tootl"  went  the  horn;  the  band- 
master, with  an  eye  to  the  situation,  waved  his  baton 
more  energetically  than  ever,  the  big  drum  boomed,  the 
trombones  blurted  out  for  all  they  were  worth,  but  the 
hooting  and  whistling  drowned  everything. 

At  last  the  car  began  to  back  and  became  disengaged; 
the  chauffeur  adroitly  turned,  and  started  down  the 
street,  followed  by  the  noisier  elements  of  the  crowd, 

[288] 


'    •  ; '  ,  >    > 


1',',  :'>  ;> 


LEON. 
Sa;i  Maycos. 


LEON 

eventually  pulling  up  at  a  cafe  just  out  of  the  parade 
zone.  In  Leon,  as  elsewhere,  fashion  dictates  a  limit  to 
the  walk  in  either  direction,  and  the  chauffeur  had 
stopped  beyond  this.  The  two  occupants  of  the  car  got 
out  in  a  very  unconcerned  manner,  sat  down  at  a  table 
and  ordered  a  drink.  For  at  least  a  quarter  of  an  hour, 
while  these  two  were  taking  their  coffee,  the  crowd  stood 
round  booing,  whistling  and  shouting.  I  do  not  think 
I  have  ever  seen  anything  cooler  than  the  way  in  which, 
their  thirst  satisfied,  and  the  account  settled,  they  got 
up  and  walked  slowly  after  the  car,  which  long  ago  had 
disappeared  out  of  danger. 

By  this  time,  despite  the  presence  of  a  couple  of  the 
Guardia  Civil,  the  crowd  was  excited.  A  cart  full  of 
peasant  folk  next  essayed  the  perils  of  the  thoroughfare ; 
they,  however,,  got  through  safely  after  much  badinage 
and  fun.  No  sooner  had  they  gone,  the  band  meantime 
having  vanished,  when  out  from  a  wine  shop  came  some 
peasants  with  castanets,  a  little  light-headed  for  once. 
There  were  four  of  them,  two  men  and  two  women.  They 
immediately  began  a  dance  on  the  pavement.  A  ring  was 
formed  and  a  storm  of  handclapping  encouraged  them; 
for  ten  minutes  they  footed  it  admirably.  More  casta- 
nets appeared  from  somewhere  and  soon  half  Leon  was 
dancing  in  the  middle  of  the  Calle.  The  feeble-looking 
policemen,   who   had   been   terribly   worried   over   the 

[291] 


CATHEDRAL   CITIES   OF   SPAIN 

motor-car  incident,  thrust  out  their  chests,  or  tried  to, 
and  beamed  all  over.  The  scene  had  changed  from  what 
had  first  looked  very  much  like  an  ugly  row,  to  one  of 
pure  enjoyment;  they  were  safe;  every  one  else  was  out 
of  danger,  and  Leon  too  was  saved. 

The  night  I  arrived  in  Leon,  having  finished  dinner, 
I  left  the  hotel,  and  taking  the  first  turn  haphazard,  wan- 
dered up  the  street.  The  electric  lights  were  soon  behind 
me  and  I  found  myself  in  what  seemed  to  be  a  huge  de- 
serted square.  The  dark  night  was  lit  by  milliards  of 
twinkling  stars,  and  gazing  upwards  at  them  my  eye  fol- 
lowed the  line  of  what  appeared  to  be  immensely  tall 
poplar  trees.  I  looked  again,  I  had  never  seen  trees  that 
colour,  then  it  slowly  dawned  on  me  that  I  was  in  front 
'of  the  great  Cathedral.  Slowly,  slowly  as  my  eye  became 
accustomed  to  the  dark  I  made  out  tapering  spires  that 
met  the  very  stars  themselves  embedded  in  the  purple- 
blue  sky,  an  infinitude  of  pinnacles,  with  a  wonderful 
building  beneath.  The  mystery  of  a  beautiful  night  con- 
jures up  all  that  is  best  in  this  country.  Squallor  and 
dirt  are  hidden;  one's  thoughts  take  flight  and  wander 
back  to  the  Spain  of  old,  the  glorious  Spain  of  bygone 
days.  At  moments  like  this  I  certainly  would  never  have 
been  surprised  to  hear  the  clatter  of  hoofs  and  see  a 
band  of  knights  with  pennons  flying  and  armour  glint- 
ing appear  suddenly  in  the  semi-darkness.     Well,  the 

[292] 


'     '  ''  J  1    >   ' 
'    '  ;  > ,  1    1 ' 


'  '  ' , 


'  •-  '.  -  , 


LeON 


LEON. 

IVif   nVs/   Porch  of  the  Cathedyal. 


LEON 

days  of  chivalry  have  gone,  but  the  romance  of  a  starry 
night  will  never  die. 

The  next  morning  I  returned,  eager  to  discover  what 
my  impressions  would  unfold.  Much  to  my  delight  I 
found  the  restoration  of  the  Cathedral,  which  I  knew 
was  in  progress,  so  far  finished  that  not  a  single  scaffold 
pole,  nor  any  rubbish  heaps  of  old  stones  were  anywhere 
to  be  seen.  Extremely  well  have  the  designs  of  Senor 
Don  Juan  Madrazo  been  carried  out,  and  the  Cathedral 
to-day  stands  a  magnificent  church  and  grand  monument 
of  Christianity. 

Santa  Maria  de  Regla  is  the  third  Cathedral  which 
has  existed  in  Leon.  The  site  of  the  first  is  supposed  to 
have  been  outside  the  city  walls.  The  second  was  built 
where  once  stood  the  Palace  of  Ordono  IL,  and  this  had 
been  raised  on  ground  occupied  by  Roman  baths. 

The  present  edifice  was  founded  in  1190  by  Bishop 
Manrique  de  Lara,  a  scion  of  a  great  family  which  was 
always  in  revolt,  but  was  not  completed  until  the  early- 
part  of  the  fourteenth  century. 

With  Toledo  and  Burgos,  Leon's  Cathedral  forms  the 
group  of  three  great  churches  that  are  distinctly  French, 
and  closely  resemble  Amiens  and  Rheims.  It  would  be 
difficult  to  find  another  building  the  interior  of  which 
exceeded  the  colour  elegance  and  grace  of  this  airy 
structure. 

[295] 


CATHEDRAL   CITIES   OF   SPAIN 

The  west  porch  is  the  finest  Gothic  specimen  of  its 
kind  which  exists  in  Spain  and  recalls  those  of  Notre 
Dame  de  Paris  and  the  Cathedral  at  Chartres.  Three 
archways  are  supported  by  cloistered  columns  to  which 
are  attached  figures  under  beautiful  canopies.  The 
archivolts  and  tympanum  are  covered  with  sculpture 
representing  the  Reward  of  the  Just  and  Unjust,  the 
Nativity,  Adoration,  Flight  into  Egypt,  and  Massacre  of 
the  Innocents.  All  are  extremely  interesting,  many  of 
the  figures  being  in  contemporary  costume.  Two  grand 
towers  flank  the  west  fagade,  of  which  the  north  is  the 
older  and  some  thirty  feet  less  in  height  than  its  neigh- 
bour. Both  are  surmounted  by  spires,  that  of  the  south 
being  an  excellent  example  of  open  filigree  work,  rival- 
ling those  at  Burgos  and  very  much  better  than  that  of 
Oviedo. 

Between  these  towers  and  above  the  porch  is  a  pedi- 
ment with  spires  and  a  glorious  wheel  window,  under- 
neath which  is  a  row  of  windows  that  corresponds  to  the 
triforium.    This  portion  is  part  of  the  late  restoration. 

The  south  porch  also  has  three  arches,  which  have 
been  well  renovated.  The  centre  one  alone  has  a  door 
to  admit  into  the  interior,  it  is  double  and  surrounded  by 
figures  in  the  archivolt  with  reliefs  in  the  tympanum.  On 
the  centre  column  is  a  figure  of  San  Froilan,  at  one  time 
Bishop  of  Leon. 

[296] 


LEON 

A  beautiful  balustrade  follows  the  sky-line  of  the  whole 
Cathedral.  This  is  broken  by  many  pinnacles,  some  of 
which  are  spiral;  others  on  the  fagades  and  finishing  the 
supports  of  the  flying  buttresses,  give  the  exterior  a 
resemblance  to  a  forest  of  small  spires. 

The  interior  is  a  marvel  of  beauty  and  lightness.  The 
nave  and  aisles  consist  of  six  bays,  no  lateral  chapels  dis- 
figure the  latter  with  chirrigueresque  atrocities.  The 
triforium  runs  round  the  whole  Cathedral.  So  cleverly 
has  the  spacing  here  been  arranged,  that  with  the  clere- 
story it  makes  one  magnificent  panel  of  gorgeous  light. 
The  windows  of  this,  forty  feet  high,  were  at  one  time 
blocked  up  for  safety.  They  now  contain  stained  glass, 
and  soar  upwards  to  the  vaulting  of  the  roof.  Every 
window  in  the  Cathedral  is  coloured  and  the  efifect  as 
the  sun  streams  through  can  well  be  imagined. 

No  flamboyant  retablo  spoils  the  simplicity  of  the  east 
end,  the  place  of  what  might  have  been  a  jarring  note 
amidst  the  Gothic  work  being  taken  by  good  paintings 
in  flat  gilded  frames.  It  was  Senor  Madrazo's  idea  to 
remove  the  coro  from  the  centre  of  the  nave,  and  had  this 
been  done  Santa  Maria  de  Regla  would  have  gained  im- 
mensely. The  carved  stalls  are  good,  and  the  trascoro, 
sculptured  in  white  marble,  which  age  has  toned,  and 
picked  out  in  gold,  is  decidedly  a  fine  work. 

Among  the  chapels  in  the  apse  that  of  La  Nuestra 

[297] 


CATHEDRAL   CITIES   OF   SPAIN 

Senora  del  Dado  contains  a  miraculous  Virgin  and  Child. 
Tradition  tells  that  a  gambler  who  had  lost  heavily 
threw  his  dice  at  her  and  smote  her  on  the  nose.  This 
forthwith  bled  copiously;  hence  the  miracle  and  the  name 
of  "  Dado  "  or  "  die."  Another  chapel  contains  the  tomb 
of  a  great  benefactress  of  the  Cathedral,  the  Condesa 
Sancha.  An  expectant  nephew,  seeing  her  property 
slowly  dwindling  in  the  cause  of  the  Faith,  put  an  end 
to  his  aunt,  and  thereby  met  his  own  death  by  being 
pulled  asunder  by  horses  to  which  he  was  tied. 

However,  the  chapels  are  not  very  interesting,  but  the 
tombs  in  the  Cathedral  are.  Of  all  these  that  of  Ordono 
IL,  behind  the  chancel,  is  certainly  the  finest.  The  King 
lies  at  full  length  with  a  herald  at  his  head  and  a  monk 
at  his  feet  holding  a  scroll  inscribed  "  aspice."  He  wears 
his  crown  and  carries  the  royal  emblems.  This  tomb  was 
erected  five  hundred  years  after  the  King's  death,  and  is 
guarded  by  a  quaint  iron  grille. 

The  cloisters,  entered  from  a  door  in  the  north  tran- 
sept, are  a  jumble  of  Gothic  and  Renaissance,  with  a 
Romanesque  arcade  and  a  good  deal  of  plateresque  work 
as  well.  Some  of  the  earliest  frescoes  in  Spain  are  fast 
disappearing  from  the  walls.  They  illustrate  events  in 
the  Life  of  Christ,  and  are  in  an  early  Italian  style  that 
places  their  origin  in  doubt.  From  the  western  spires 
to  the  angular  exterior  of  the  chevet,  a  good  idea  is  ob- 

[298] 


LEON. 

The  Catlitdral. 


LEON 

tained  of  the  beauty  of  the  Cathedral  as  one  stands  in 
these  cloisters,  and  when  they,  too,  are  restored  the  great 
work  begun  in  i860  will  be  finished. 

Next  to  the  Cathedral,  and  perhaps  in  a  way  more  in- 
teresting, is  the  convent  of  San  Isidoro  el  Real.  This, 
the  Escorial  of  Leon  and  Castile,  is  a  building  which 
Soult's  soldiers  desecrated  in  a  most  abominable  man- 
ner; next  to  the  lower  or  Roman  portion  of  the  city  walls 
it  is  the  most  ancient  building  in  Leon.  The  body  of 
San  Isidoro  was  brought  hither  in  the  reign  of  Ferdi- 
nand I.,  who  obtained  it  from  the  Emir  of  Seville,  and 
the  present  church  was  erected  to  receive  it.  This  was 
in  1063,  the  original  convent  being  a  hundred  years 
older.  San  Isidoro  was  declared  by  the  Council  of  To- 
ledo to  be  the  Egregious  Doctor  of  Spain,  and  in  his 
capacity  of  titular  saint  fought  with  cross  and  sword  at 
the  battle  of  Baeza  against  the  Moors. 

The  church  is  Romanesque  and  dark,  with  a  lofty 
clerestory,  but  no  triforium.  The  High  Altar  shares 
with  that  at  Lugo  in  Galicia  the  privilege  of  having  the 
Host  always  manifest  ado. 

In  the  Panteon,  a  small  low  chapel  at  the  west  end,  lie 
buried  the  Kings  and  Queens  and  other  royalties  of  Leon. 
The  columns  are  very  massive  with  heavy  capitals;  the 
ceiling  is  adorned  with  early  frescoes  which  happily 
escaped  the  depredations  of  the  French;  they  are  crude, 

[301] 


CATHEDRAL   CITIES   OF   SPAIN 

but  the  colour  adds  to  the  impressivenss  of  this  gloomy 
abode  of  the  Dead.  Representing  scenes  from  the  Lives 
of  our  Lord  and  His  Apostles,  with  signs  of  the  Zodiac 
and  months  of  the  year,  they  date  from  i  i8o.  The  whole 
convent  is  replete  with  mural  paintings,  and  before 
Soult  sacked  it  contained  many  extremely  interesting 
and  rare  missals  of  the  seventh  and  eighth  centuries. 

Unique  is  another  convent,  that  of  San  Marcos,  which 
stands  on  the  river  bank  outside  the  city  on  the  road  to 
Astorga.  Founded  as  a  chapel  in  1 168  for  the  knights  of 
Santiago,  it  was  rebuilt  in  1514-49  by  Juan  de  Badajoz, 
and  is  certainly  his  masterpiece.  It  would  be  difficult 
to  find  a  fagade  of  greater  beauty  than  this  marvel  of 
plateresque  work.  The  remarkable  pink  and  golden  col- 
our of  the  stone,  intensified  against  the  background  of  a 
deep  blue  sky,  the  delicacy  of  the  carving  in  which  an- 
gels and  cherubs,  griffons  and  monsters  intermingle  with 
floral  wreaths  and  branches  of  fruit  in  orderly  confu- 
sion, the  elegant  pillars  and  pilasters,  all  so  truly  Spanish 
under  the  blazing  sun,  fascinated  me  immensely  as  time 
after  time  I  returned  to  wonder  and  admire. 

Here  again  I  could  conjure  up  the  past,  the  romance 
of  Spain's  greatest  Order;  well  housed  were  those 
knights  of  old  in  their  glorious  Hospice,  and  now — the 
river  still  runs  under  the  walls  of  what  afterwards  be- 
came a  convent,  its  banks  are  lined  with  tall  poplars,  far 

[302] 


LEON 

away  rise  the  mountains  of  the  north  in  rugged  outline 
just  as  they  did  of  yore — and  San  Marcos?  Alas!  half 
is  a  museum  and  the  rest  a  barrack.  A  forlorn  air  per- 
vades the  place,  the  old  garden  wants  tending,  and  de- 
spite the  life  of  the  military,  I  could  not  help  sighing 
once  again,  as  I  have  so  often  sighed  in  Spain — •"  How 
are  the  mighty  fallen!" 


[303] 


OVIEDO 

OVIEDO,  seldom  visited  by  the  foreigner,  lies 
well  situated  on  rising  ground  in  a  fine  open 
valley.  Grand  mountains  surround  and  hem 
it  on  the  east,  south  and  west,  to  the  north  the 
country  undulates  until  it  reaches  the  Biscay  coast  twenty 
odd  miles  away.  These  natural  barriers  gather  the  clouds 
and  the  climate  is  humid;  on  an  average  there  are  but 
sixty  cloudless  days  in  the  year.  While  I  was  in  Oviedo 
it  rained  almost  incessantly,  and  the  "  clang  of  the 
wooden  shoon"  kept  the  streets  lively  with  a  clattering 
"  click-clack."  All  the  poorer  classes  wear  sabots  in  wet 
weather,  sabots  that  are  pegged  on  the  soles,  difficult  to 
walk  in,  but  kept  well  out  of  the  mud  and  puddles  by 
these  pegs.  This  particular  make  is  common  to  the  As- 
turias,  just  as  the  ordinary  French  shape  is  to  Galicia. 

Oviedo  is  one  of  Spain's  university  cities,  and  I  hap- 
pened to  strike  the  week  when  the  festivities  in  celebra- 
tion of  its  tercentenary  were  in  progress.    Wet  weather 

[  304  ] 


OVIEDO 

and  pouring  rain  never  damp  the  ardour  of  the  Span- 
iard during  a  fiesta,  and  despite  the  rain  powder  was  kept 
dry  somehow  or  other  and  enthusiasm  vented  itself  regu- 
larly up  to  eleven  o'clock  every  night  by  terrific  explo- 
sions. Functions  of  some  sort  seemed  to  be  going  on  all 
day  long.  Societies  from  the  country  paraded  the  streets, 
led  by  music,  in  most  cases  bagpipes  and  a  drum,  and 
Oviedo  was  evidently  "  doing  itself  proud." 

I  happened  on  a  ceremony  in  the  Cathedral  one  morn- 
ing. The  Bishop  was  preaching  to  an  immense  crowd 
when  I  entered.  Seated  in  the  nave  were  the  Professors 
of  the  University,  Doctors  of  Law  and  Medicine,  the 
Military  Governor  and  his  Staff,  the  Alcade  and  Town 
Councillors,  besides  representatives  from  the  universities 
of  every  European  country,  except,  strangely  enough, 
Germany,  and  one  from  Harvard,  the  first  to  attend  a 
function  of  this  sort  since  the  war.  It  was  a  really  won- 
derful sight,  for  the  Cathedral  is  not  marred  by  a  coro 
in  the  nave.  The  hues  of  the  many-coloured  robes,  from 
canary  yellow  and  scarlet  to  cerulean  blue  and  black, 
the  vast  throng  literally  filling  every  available  bit  of 
space,  even  on  to  the  pulpit  steps,  gave  me  a  subject  for 
my  brush,  and  I  surreptitiously  made  a  hasty  sketch,  to 
be  finished  afterwards  in  my  room. 

The  Cathedral  was  founded  by  Fruela  in  781,  and  en- 
larged in  802  by  Alfonso  the  Chaste,  who  made  Oviedo 

[  305  ] 


CATHEDRAL   CITIES   OF   SPAIN 

the  capital  of  Asturias,  and  with  his  Court  resided  here. 
He  created  the  See  in  8io.  The  present  edifice  was  be- 
gun by  Bishop  Gutierrez  of  Toledo  in  1388,  and  the 
tower  added  by  Cardinal  Mendoza  in  1528. 

Hedged  in,  although  fronting  on  to  a  little  plaza,  the 
grand  west  facade  with  its  beautiful  porch  can  hardly  be 
said  to  be  visible.  This  lofty  portico  of  richly  orna- 
mented Gothic,  under  the  shelter  of  which  the  gossips 
parade  to  and  fro,  leads  into  the  Cathedral  and  stands 
thrust  out  and  between  the  two  towers.  Only  one  of  these 
towers  is  completed,  and  it  is  surmounted  by  a  good  open- 
work spire  the  top  of  which  rises  two  hundred  and 
seventy  feet  from  the  ground. 

I  wandered  about  hopelessly  trying  to  gain  some  idea 
of  the  exterior  of  the  Cathedral  and  found  that  it  was 
only  by  walking  outside  the  city  that  anything  at  all  can 
be  seen  of  it,  and  then  the  towers  and  roof  of  the  nave, 
with  the  flying  buttresses  attached,  were  the  only  features 
that  came  into  view. 

The  entrance  by  the  south  door  leads  through  a  dark 
passage,  in  which  many  votive  offerings  hang  over  a  tiny 
shrine  where  burnt  a  little  flickering  lamp.  Going  in  I 
found  myself  at  the  spot  from  which  I  made  my  sketch 
the  previous  day.  What  a  relief  it  was  to  find  no  coro 
blocking  up  the  navel  The  eye  could  wander  over  the 
whole  of  this  lofty  interior — could  follow  the  beautiful 

[306] 


11,>^>J      * 


^' 


OVIKDO. 
/n   the  Cathedral. 


OVIEDO 

open  work  of  the  triforium  and  rest  on  the  stained  glass 
of  the  clerestory  windows.  The  aisles  are  very  shadowy, 
ail  the  light  being  concentrated  in  the  nave  and  the  cross- 
ing, and  the  vision,  with  a  great  sense  of  good  effect,  is 
led  up  to  the  white  tabernacle  on  the  High  Altar  and  the 
immense  retablo  beyond.  A  little  theatrical  if  you  like, 
but  it  is  business,  and  the  Church  understands  this  so 
well. 

Among  the  chapels,  good,  bad  and  indifferent,  is  one 
containing  a  gorgeous  silver-gilt  shrine  wherein  rests  the 
body  of  Santa  Eulalia,  Oviedo's  patroness.  In  another, 
tucked  away  behind  the  north  transept,  the  Capilla  del 
Rey  Casto,  lies  buried  Alfonso  the  Chaste,  who  did  so 
much  for  the  city.  Six  niches  in  the  walls  contain  stone 
coffins,  which  are  supposed  to  hold  the  remains  of  Fruela 
I.,  Urraca,  wife  of  Ramiro  L,  Alfonso  el  Catolico,  Ra- 
miro,  and  Ordono  I.  The  bodies  of  these  royalties  at 
one  time  lay  here,  and  a  modern  inscription  on  a  mural 
tablet  relates  how  they  were  removed,  but  not  how  their 
tombs  were  destroyed.  Many  other  kings  and  princes  we 
are  told  by  this  tablet  also  lie  here,  and  as  there  are  but 
half  a  dozen  coffins  their  bones  must  be  bien  melange. 

There  are  the  usual  overdone  chirrigueresque  altars 
which  do  their  best  to  mar  this  imposing  church,  though 
I  am  glad  to  say  they  hardly  succeed.  From  them,  how- 
ever, it  was  a  relief  to  be  taken  by  a  very  intelligent 

[  309  ] 


CATHEDRAL   CITIES   OF    SPAIN 

verger  up  the  winding  stairs  which  led  to  the  Camara 
Santa. 

This  is  by  far  the  most  interesting  portion  of  the 
Cathedral.  Built  by  Alfonso  in  802  to  hold  the  sacred 
relics  brought  hither  from  Toledo  at  the  time  of  the 
Moorish  invasion,  it  stands  above  a  vaulted  basement; 
the  reason  for  this  arrangement  evidently  being  the  damp 
climate,  and  the  wish  to  keep  so  holy  a  charge  free  from 
mfoisture.  The  chapel  is  divided  into  two  parts.  The 
inner,  of  very  small  dimensions,  has  a  low  barrel  vault- 
ing borne  by  arches  with  primitive  twelfth-century  fig- 
ures. The  sanctum  sanctorum  is  slightly  raised,  and  from 
this  inmost  Holy  of  Holies  the  relics  are  shown  to  the 
devout  who  kneel  in  front  of  a  low  railing  every  day  at 
8.30  A.M.  and  3.30  P.M.  The  cedar  wood  area  in  which 
they  are  kept  is  of  Byzantine  workmanship.  The  relics 
include  some  of  Mary  Magdalene's  hair,  and  crumbs  left 
over  from  the  feeding  of  the  five  thousand. 

The  outer  chamber  of  the  chapel  has  a  finely  groined 
roof,  attached  to  the  columns  supporting  which  are 
statues  of  the  twelve  apostles.  The  richly  tesselated 
pavement  resembles  the  Norman-Byzantine  work  of 
Sicily,  and  was  not  uncommon  in  Spain  prior  to  the  thir- 
teenth century. 

A  bell  tower,  in  which  at  one  time  hung  "Wamba," 
the  great  bell  of  the  church  cast  in  121 9,  stands  partly 

[310] 


1  >   3    5 


,1  J1>>J  . 


a    -2 


OVIEDO 

on  the  roof  and  at  the  south-east  corner  of  the  Camara 
Santa.  It  was  erected  by  Alfonso  VI.,  and  to  judge  by 
Its  present  state  will  not  long  survive;  most  decidedly 
"Wamba"  could  not  swing  there  now. 

The  Cathedral  possesses  three  remarkable  crosses;  La 
Cruz  de  los  Angeles,  Maltese  in  shape,  is  studied  with 
uncut  gems.  It  dates  from  808,  and,  like  the  cross  at 
Santiago,  is  1200  years  old.  La  Cruz  de  la  Victoria,  the 
cross  of  Pelayo,  is  encased  in  beautiful  filigree  work,  and 
is  the  identical  one  borne  aloft  before  Pelayo  at  his  glori- 
ous victory  over  the  Moor  at  the  Cave  of  Covadonga. 
The  third  is  a  crucifix  on  an  ivory  diptych,  absolutely 
identical  with  the  Cristo  de  las  Batallas  of  the  Cid  at 
Salamanca.  Many  other  relics  of  great  archaeological 
interest  belong  to  the  Cathedral,  and  make  it  well  worth 
the  journey  to  see.  This  journey  from  Leon  is  long  and 
trying,  but  the  line,  which  climbs  to  an  altitude  of  41 10 
feet,  is  one  of  the  finest  pieces  of  engineering  skill  in 
Spain. 

The  dark  entry  of  the  south  door  leads  not  only  into 
the  Cathedral  and  up  to  the  Camara  Santa,  but  also 
through  a  side  door  opens  on  to  the  fourteenth-century 
cloisters.  They  are  well  kept  and  the  little  garden  court 
a  paradise  in  comparison  with  some  of  those  I  know. 
The  capitals  of  the  columns  are  well  carved  with 
prophets  and  saints  under  canopies,  angels  and  angels' 

[313] 


CATHEDRAL   CITIES   OF   SPAIN 

heads,  grotesques  and  good  floral  cutting;  while  into  the 
walls  beneath  them  and  round  the  arcades  are  let  many- 
tombs  and  gravestones  brought  here  from  different 
ruined  or  desecrated  churches. 

I  went  off  one  morning  to  see  the  earliest  Christian 
church  in  the  country.  Braving  the  rain  I  tramped 
through  mud  ankle-deep  for  an  hour  up  the  hill  slopes 
westward.  It  was  a  case  of  two  steps  forward  and  one 
back,  but  the  spirit  of  the  tourist  was  on  me.  I  could 
not  leave  Oviedo  and  acknowledge  I  had  not  been  to 
Naranco.  I  was  desperate  and  I  got  there.  What  a 
charming  out-of-the-way  spot  it  is!  Hidden  behind  a 
grove  of  ancient  chestnut  trees  under  the  brow  of  the 
mountain  stands  Santa  Maria. 

A  triple  arch  porch  at  the  top  of  a  dozen  steps  gives 
entrance  on  the  north  side  to  this  minute  and  primitive 
place  of  worship.  I  entered  and  found  myself  in  a  bar- 
rel-vaulted parallelogram,  with  a  curious  arcade  run- 
ning round  the  walls.  The  west  end  is  raised  three  steps 
above  the  nave,  from  which  it  is  cut  off  by  three  arches 
ten  feet  high  at  the  centre.  The  east  end  also  has  this 
feature,  but  the  floor  is  level  with  the  nave.  All  the  col- 
umns in  the  church  are  of  twisted  cable  design  with 
shield  capitals  containing  figures  in  low  relief.  The  ar- 
cades, which  are  walled  up,  have  depending  from  the 
plain  groining  bands  slabs  of  cut  stone  with  placques 

[314] 


OVIEDO 

below,  something  like  a  ribbon  and  medal  in  the  way 
they  hang.  The  inferior  is  but  thirty-five  feet  in  length 
and  fifteen  feet  across. 

Beneath  the  church  is  a  semi-circular  stone  crypt,  sim- 
ilar to  that  beneath  the  Camara  Santa;  it  is  entered  from 
the  cottage  in  which  at  one  time  lived  the  officiating 
priest.  The  caretaker  inhabits  this  cottage,  which  is 
built  on  to  the  church,  and  I  had  come  at  her  dinner 
hour.  Alas!  she  could  not  leave  me  in  peace,  and  I 
must  own  to  a  defeat.  I  was  practically  driven  away,  for 
the  meal  was  spoiling  and  required  her  undivided  atten- 
tion, but  I  had  seen  Santa  Maria  de  Naranco;  I  had 
grasped  how  in  the  early  days,  when  the  Infidel  was  over- 
running the  land,  this  little  building  on  the  lone  hillside 
was  a  centre  of  the  Faith,  and  how  from  the  surrounding 
mountain  fastnesses  worshippers  had  gathered  here  and 
gone  away  strengthened  by  prayer,  and  how  from  this 
little  seed  of  the  Church  sown  on  the  forest-clad  hill 
Spain's  mightiness  had  grown. 


[315] 


VALLADOLID 

HOR  nearly  one  hundred  and  fifty  years,  from  the 
reign  of  Juan  II.,  1454,  to  Philip  11. ,  1598, 
Valladolid  was  a  royal  city  and  the  capital  of 
Castile.  It  lies  on  the  plain  through  which 
the  river  Pisuerga  meanders,  just  touching  the  outskirts 
of  the  city  on  the  western  side.  In  the  Moorish  days 
Valladolid  was  known  as  Belad  al  Wali,  "  The  Town  of 
the  Governor,"  and  flourished  as  a  great  agricultural 
centre.  It  is  still  the  focus  of  the  corn  trade  of  Old  Cas- 
tile. It  was  here  that  Prince  Ferdinand,  despite  attempts 
on  the  part  of  his  father,  Juan  II.,  to  frustrate  it,  was  in- 
troduced to  Isabella,  the  reigning  Queen  of  Castile  and 
Leon.  Many  suitors  had  proposed  themselves  and  paid 
their  addresses  to  this  paragon  among  women,  but  pos- 
sessing a  will  of  her  own  she  made  her  choice  and  se- 
lected the  Prince,  whom  she  married  on  October  19,  1469. 
Valladolid  suffered  more  severely  at  the  hands  of  the 
French  than  any  other  city  of  Spain.  They  demolished 
most  of  the  good  houses  and  despoiled  the  churches; 
among  those  that  are  left,  however,  I  found  plenty  to  in- 

[316] 


VALLADOLID 

terest  me  and  to  make  a  stay,  after  I  had  discovered  them,, 
well  worth  the  while. 

I  made  a  sketch  of  Santa  Maria  la  Antigua,  which  is 
the  most  interesting  edifice  in  the  place.  The  fine  Ro- 
manesque tower  is  surmounted  by  a  tiled  steeple  which 
recalls  Lombardy,  and  although  many  additions  have 
been  made  to  the  original  fabric  the  whole  building  piles 
up  very  well,  the  early  Gothic  east  end  being  particularly 
beautiful.  This  church  dates  from  the  twelfth  century, 
but  the  greater  part  of  it  is  pure  Gothic.  The  roof  is 
richly  groined;  there  are  three  parallel  apses,  and  the 
coro  is  at  the  west  end — an  always  welcome  place  to  find 
it.  The  retablo  by  Juan  de  Juni,  whose  work  is  scat- 
tered throughout  the  churches  of  Vallodolid,  is  fine 
though  over-elaborate. 

Another  good  church  is  San  Pablo,  partly  rebuilt  by 
the  great  Cardinal  Torquemada,  whose  name  will  for 
ever  be  associated  with  the  terrors  of  the  Inquisition.  I 
found  another  subject  for  my  brush  in  its  very  intricate 
late  Gothic  west  facade.  The  upper  part  of  this  con- 
tains the  arms  of  the  Catholic  Kings,  below  which  on 
either  side  are  those  of  the  Duque  de  Lerma.  The  niches 
are  luckily  all  filled  with  their  original  figures,  and  the 
wonderful  tracery  of  the  round  window  is  also  in  good 
preservation.  The  grey  finials  are  weatherworn  and  con- 
trast well  with  the  rich  yellow  and  pink  of  the  rest  of  the 

[317] 


CATHEDRAL   CITIES   OF   SPAIN 

front,  a  fagade  which  is  absolutely  crammed  with  in- 
tricate design.  Two  hideous  towers  of  later  date  and  of 
the  same  stone  as  that  with  which  the  Cathedral  is  built, 
flank  this  and  detract  unfortunately  from  one  of  the  best 
examples  of  late  Gothic  work  in  the  country. 

Hard  by,  up  the  street  pictured  in  my  sketch,  stands 
the  Colegiata  de  San  Gregorio,  with  an  equally  fine 
fagade;  though  being  an  earlier  Gothic  it  is  more  severe 
in  type.  The  doorway  of  this  is  surmounted  by  a  genea- 
logical tree  and  the  arms  of  Ferdinand  and  Isabella. 
Some  of  the  figures  of  rough  hairy  men  with  cudgels  are 
very  primitive.  San  Gregorio  was  a  foundation  of  Car- 
dinal Ximenes;  it  is  now  used  as  municipal  offices.  Pass- 
ing through  the  doorway  I  entered  a  beautiful  little 
court,  rather  dark,  but  with  sufficient  light  to  enable  me 
to  appreciate  the  good  artesonade  ceiling  of  its  cloisters. 
The  second  court  is  a  blaze  of  light.  Spiral  fluted  col- 
umns form  the  cloister,  the  ceiling  of  which  is  picked 
out  in  a  cerulean  blue  and  white;  they  support  a  recently- 
restored  gallery,  a  mixture  of  Moorish  Romanesque  and 
plateresque  work,  into  which  the  sheaves  and  yoke  of 
the  Catholic  Kings  is  introduced  as  at  Granada  and 
Santiago,  making  a  very  effective  whole.  A  fine  old 
stone  stairway  leads  from  this  court  up  to  what  in  the  old 
collegiate  days  was  a  library. 

Of  the  Cathedral  I  fear  I  can  write  but  little.     It  is 

[318] 


1)1       ' 


'    t  ■  •    ■  "J- 


V 

^.^'H 


VALI.ADOLID. 
San  Pablo. 


VALLADOLID 

a  huge  gloomy  edifice  without  a  single  redeeming  fea- 
ture, and  of  all  those  I  saw  the  most  incomplete  and  dis- 
appointing. The  exterior  north  and  south  walls  are  still 
unfinished,  the  stone  work  is  not  even  faced!  The  east 
are  built  of  brick,  and  the  west  fagade,  altered  by  Chir- 
riguera  himself  from  the  original  plan  of  Herrara,  is 
extremely  bald  and  ugly. 

This  enormous  building  is  four  hundred  feet  in  length 
and  over  two  hundred  wide,  yet  these  proportions  give  it 
no  grandeur.  The  interior  is  absolutely  devoid  of  orna- 
ment, and  if  it  were  not  for  the  silleria  in  the  coro,  which 
were  originally  intended  for  San  Pablo  and  are  good, 
there  would  be  nothing  to  warrant  a  visit  to  this  cold 
and  depressing  church.  By  the  way,  the  sacristy  contains 
a  silver  custodia  in  the  shape  of  an  open  temple,  a  good 
example  of  the  work  of  Juan  de  Arfe. 

There  is  a  third-rate  French  air  about  Valladolid,  at 
least  so  it  struck  me,  and  it  was  only  after  a  visit  to  the 
old  Collegio  de  Santa  Cruz,  wherein  is  the  museum,  that 
my  first  disappointment  wore  off  and  I  felt  that  I  was 
still  in  Spain. 

The  contents  of  the  museum  are  mostly  objects  which 
the  French  plundered  from  the  churches  and  monas- 
teries of  Castile,  and  were  recovered  after  their  disas- 
trous defeat  at  Vitoria.  The  styles  of  Berruguete,  Her- 
nandez and  Juan  de  Juni  can  be  examined  here  at  leis- 

[321] 


CATHEDRAL   CITIES   OF   SPAIN 

ure.  Some  of  the  life-size  carved  wooden  figures  of  the 
last  named,  formerly  used  on  the  processional  cars  which 
parade  the  streets  at  certain  festivals,  are  remarkable 
more  from  the  extravagant  attitudes  of  the  figures  than 
from  their  artistic  merit.  The  custodian  who  accom- 
panied me  was  a  pleasant  fellow,  and  evinced  surprise 
that  a  pintor  could  not  see  the  beauties  he  pointed  out. 
I  fear  he  thought  little  of  my  artistic  discrimination; 
especially  when  in  the  Sala  de  Juntas  he  invited  me  to 
ascend  a  pulpit  over  which  hung  a  large  crucifix,  and 
with  fervour  solicited  my  admiration  of  the  face  of 
Christ,  on  which  was  a  most  agonised  look,  " cheap"  and 
quite  according  to  academic  rules.  "No,  no,  it  is  bad." 
"  But,  senor,  He  suffers."  I  could  not  make  him  under- 
stand that  acute  suffering  need  not  be  so  painfully  ap- 
parent. 

In  this  Sala  are  placed  the  whole  of  the  silleria  de 
coro  from  the  church  of  San  Benito.  Arranged  on  either 
side  of  the  room  they  give  it  a  superb  effect.  At  the  far 
end  are  the  red  velvet-covered  chairs  of  Spanish  Chip- 
pendale used  by  the  Council  of  the  Academy  of  Arts  at 
their  meetings.  Beyond  them,  on  a  raised  platform,  are 
the  two  bronze-gilt  kneeling  figures  of  the  Duque  and 
Duchess  de  Lerma.  A  few  pictures  hang  on  the  walls 
and  other  treasures  and  relics  help  to  make  this  fine 
Sala  an  ideal  council  chamber  for  the  academicians. 

[322] 


1      J   J '   >   1 

11      J    '■>    ■> 


111 


)         >  J  J 

'  1         5      )  5      3   5  1 


Vr 


VALLA  DO  LID. 


Santa  Mayia  la  Antigua. 


c    c    c  c  t    c 


VALLADOLID 

Of  the  hundreds  of  carved  figures  in  other  rooms  those 
by  Berruguete,  very  Greek  in  type,  flat  brow  and  straight 
nose,  are  artistically  by  far  the  best,  though  the  "  Death 
of  our  Lord,"  a  life-size  composition  by  Hernandez,  fol- 
lows not  far  behind.  Just  as  Madrid  contains  the  finest 
armoury  in  the  world,  I  doubt  if  any  other  museum  can 
compete  with  Valladolid's  for  figures  and  compositions 
of  carved  wood. 

The  University  holds  at  present  a  high  rank,  most  of 
its  professors  being  progressive.  The  building  itself  is 
a  Chirrigueresque  concern  of  the  seventeenth  century 
with  a  very  extravagant  facade.  It  possesses  a  good 
library,  which  is  get-at-able  and  not  like  others  belonging 
to  the  church  which  are  very  difficult  of  access.  A 
propos  of  this,  one  of  the  professors  here  told  me  the 
following  hardly  credible  experience  of  a  friend  of  his, 
whom  I  will  call  A. : 

There  is  a  movement  at  present  in  Spain  to  catalogue 
some  at  least  of  the  many  thousands  of  priceless  historical 
Arabic  documents  and  MSS.  which,  hidden  away  in 
Cathedral  and  other  libraries,  would  throw  invaluable 
light  on  the  history  of  early  times  if  they  could  be  ex- 
amined. A.  is  engaged  in  trying  to  compile  this  cata- 
logue, and,  hearing  that  in  a  certain  Cathedral  city — 
not  Valladolid — the  Cathedral  library  contained  some 
treasures  of  Arabic  lore,  procured  an  introduction  to  the 

[325] 


CATHEDRAL   CITIES   OF   SPAIN 

bishop,  and  requested  permission  to  search  the  archives 
of  the  diocese. 

Explaining  that  he  was  unable  to  help  in  the  matter, 
the  bishop  sent  A.  to  the  chapter  authorities.  The  basis 
of  their  refusal  was  that  any  MS.  if  taken  down  from  its 
shelf  might  be  injured,  and  if  once  taken  down  might 
not  be  replaced  in  the  same  position!  "Yes,  they  cer- 
tainly possessed  many  supposed  Arabic  documents,  but 
as  none  had  been  disturbed  in  living  memory,  why  take 
the  trouble  to  make  a  catalogue?  Surely  this  would  be 
superfluous,  the  books  were  there  no  doubt,  A.  could  see 
them  on  their  shelves,  the  librarian  would  be  happy  to 
show  them,  but  no,  they  could  not  be  taken  down." 

In  the  library  of  the  Escorial  the  books  are  all  placed 
with  their  titles  against  the  wall  and  their  edges  turned 
towards  the  spectator,  so  that  no  vulgar  touch  could  de- 
fame them  by  reading.  Small  wonder  that  the  Progres- 
sists of  Spain  shrug  their  shoulders  sometimes  at  the 
many  petty  obstacles  encountered  in  their  attempts  to 
better  their  country,  and  regard  it  as  an  almost  hopeless 
task. 

Two  foreign  colleges  are  situated  in  Valladolid,  the 
Scotch  and  the  English.  The  first  named  was  founded 
by  Col.  Semple  in  Madrid  and  removed  hither  in  1771, 
the  second  by  Sir  Francis  Englefield,  who  came  to  Spain 
after  the  execution  of  Mary  Queen  of  Scots.    They  are 

[326] 


VALLADOLID 

both  seminaries  for  the  education  of  young  priests  and 
with  the  Irish  College  in  Salamanca  complete  the  trio. 

The  focus  of  the  city's  life  is  in  the  Plaza  Mayor,  a  fine 
square  where  the  first  auto  da  fe,  which  Philip  11.  and 
his  court  witnessed,  took  place  in  October,  1559.  It  was 
here  also  that  Alvaro  de  Luna  was  executed,  after  faith- 
fully serving  his  King,  Juan  II.,  for  thirty  years.  Spain 
thereby  lost  the  strong  will  and  the  arm  which  enforced 
it,  and  which  out  of  chaos  had  brought  the  country  into  a 
semblance  of  order  by  quelling  the  turbulent  nobles. 
Such  has  been  in  the  past  the  fickleness  of  Spain's  rulers 
that  not  one  of  the  great  men  who  have  served  their  coun- 
try, with  perhaps  the  exception  of  General  Prim,  and  he 
died  a  disappointed  man,  has  ever  ended  his  life  in  peace 
and  quiet.  They  have  nearly  all  died  at  the  stake,  on  the 
scaffold,  or  been  foully  murdered. 

The  much  dilapidated  house  in  a  narrow  street  where 
Columbus  died  is  fast  falling  into  ruin,  but  that  in  the 
Calle  de  Rastro,  where  Cervantes  lived  and  wrote  the 
first  part  of  Don  Quixote,  is  in  better  condition. 


[  327  ]' 


BURGOS 

aNLIKE  most  folk  who  enter  the  country  from 
the  north,  I  left  Burgos  for  the  end  of  my  last 
visit  to  Spain,  and  found  it  in  a  way  not  unlike 
Cadiz,  the  first  place  I  arrived  at.  They  are 
both  clean  cities — for  Spain ;  the  streets  in  both  are  nar- 
row, and  the  houses  tall  with  double-glazed  balconies. 
There  is  but  little  traffic  in  either,  the  squares  in  both 
are  numerous,  but  the  resemblance  stops  at  this.  The 
streets  of  Burgos  run  east  and  west  in  lines  more  or  less 
parallel  with  the  river  Arlanzon.  They  are  draughty 
and  cold.  The  city  stands  2785  feet  above  sea  level  and 
the  winds  sweep  down  from  the  distant  Sierra  in  bitter 
blasts.  The  life  of  Burgos  is  eminently  ecclesiastical  with 
a  large  sprinkling  of  the  military  element,  for  here  all 
three  branches  of  the  service  are  quartered.  It  is  a  quiet 
place  and  I  worked  in  peace  unmolested. 

What  a  pity  the  builders  of  the  great  Cathedral  could 
not  find  another  site  whereon  to  erect  their  wonderful 
church?     How  much  better  it  would  have  looked  if 

[328] 


BURGOS 

placed  on  a  flat  ground  near  the  river  than  on  the  spot 
where  a  summer  palace  of  Gonzalez  once  stood.  How- 
ever, one  cannot  move  mountains  and  I  was  perforce 
obliged  to  plant  my  easel  on  the  slope  of  the  hill  and 
paint  the  stock  view  from  in  front  of  the  west  fagade. 

In  1075  Alfonso  VI.  moved  the  Archiepiscopal  See 
from  Oca  to  Burgos  and  gave  the  site  of  the  royal  palace 
for  its  erection.  The  present  edifice  was  founded  in  1221 
by  Ferdinand  el  Santo  on  the  occasion  of  his  marriage 
with  Beatrice  of  Swabia,  who  in  her  train  brought  the 
Englishman,  Bishop  Maurice.  Employing  a  French  ar- 
chitect, Maurice  was  more  or  less  responsible  for  the 
present  building,  though  another  foreigner,  John  of 
Cologne,  added  the  beautiful  open  work  spires  with  their 
parapets  to  the  towers  of  the  west  end.  It  is  curious  that 
this,  the  most  richly  ornate  Cathedral  in  the  country, 
should  be  the  outcome  of  patronage  of  the  foreigner, 
though  at  the  same  time  it  is  the  most  Spanish  of  the 
three  "foreign"  Cathedrals.  So  rich  is  this  magnificent 
Church  in  every  style  of  architectural  decoration  that  it 
would  take  a  lifetime  to  know  it  thoroughly. 

John  of  Cologne's  beautiful  spires  are  better  than 
those  at  Leon  and  Oviedo,  and  rise  with  the  towers  that 
support  them  to  a  height  close  on  300  ft.  The  gorgeous 
central  lantern,  with  its  twelve  traceried  pinnacles,  the 
grace  of  those  that  surmount  the  Constable's  Chapel,  the 

[329] 


CATHEDRAL   CITIES   OF   SPAIN 

many,  many  others  that  break  the  sky  line  and  adorn  this 
glorious  fabric,  all  go  to  make  it  a  building  that,  despite 
the  different  styles  employed,  will  be  a  wonder  and  a  joy 
as  long  as  man's  handiwork  lasts. 

The  lower  portion  of  the  west  front  was  renewed  in 
1790.  The  Puerta  Principal  in  the  centre  is  flanked  by 
two  small  doors,  with  reliefs  of  the  Conception  and 
Crowning  of  the  Virgin,  while  the  chief  door  has  four 
statues  of  Ferdinand  el  Santo,  Alfonso  VL,  and  Bishops 
Oca  and  Maurice,  Large  Gothic  windows  occupy  the 
third  stage  of  the  front,  their  bases  being  filled  with 
statues.  The  central  stage,  which  has  a  single  arch,  con- 
tains a  splendid  rose  window.  The  upper  portion  of 
the  two  towers  is  occupied  by  very  beautiful  perforated 
double  windows  in  which  crochet  decoration  is  profusely 
used.  It  is  altogether  a  wonderful  fagade  which  I 
greatly  wished  could  be  seen  from  the  level. 

The  chief  entrance  on  the  north  is  closed.  It  is  on  the 
street,  and  through  it  the  descent  into  the  north  transept 
is  by  the  well-known  Escalada  Dorada.  The  early 
Gothic  portal — Puerta  alta — is  adorned  by  statues  and 
with  the  whole  of  this  fagade  is  one  of  the  earliest  por- 
tions of  the  Cathedral.  The  door,  which  on  this  side  leads 
into  the  Cathedral,  is  the  Puerta  de  la  Pellejeria  and 
opens  on  to  the  north-east  angle  of  the  transept  below  the 
Golden  Staircase. 

[330] 


>   )  J      > 


BURGOS. 
T/ie  Cathedral. 


BURGOS 

On  the  south  the  Puerta  del  Sarmental  is  approached 
from  the  street  by  three  tiers  of  steps,  it  is  also  part  of  the 
original  Gothic  and  is  decorated  with  statues  and  coats-of- 
arms.  Above  it  rises  a  similar  facade  to  that  of  the  north 
transept.  The  arcading  in  both  these  fagades  is  most 
beautiful  and  from  some  points,  where  the  roof-line  can 
be  seen  cutting  the  sky,  they  look  like  two  towers  sur- 
mounted by  an  elegant  balustrade.  Very  probably  the 
pitch  of  the  roofs  was  intended  to  be  higher,  and  the 
building  of  the  central  lantern  has  interfered  with  the 
original  design. 

The  nave  of  pure  early  Gothic  is  lofty  but  sadly  spoilt 
by  the  height  of  the  coro.  The  aisles  are  low,  but  very 
beautiful.  The  ctmborio  runs  up  in  double  stages  with 
windows  in  each  and  balustrades;  it  is  a  perfect  maze  of 
intricate  design  and  fine  carving.  The  walls  are  covered 
with  the  royal  arms  of  Charles  V.  and  the  City  of  Bur- 
gos; there  are  figures  of  patriarchs  and  prophets  stand- 
ing in  the  niches;  seraphim  and  angels  occupy  the  re- 
cesses of  the  spandrils,  and  the  beautiful  groining  of  this 
superb  octagon  is  quite  unmatched  anywhere  in  Spain. 
It  all  looks  as  if  just  finished,  the  stone  is  white  and  in 
perfect  preservation.  How  my  neck  used  to  ache  when 
looking  aloft,  unweaving  the  intricacies  of  that  splendid 
interior!  To  strengthen  the  Cathedral  and  support  the 
weight  of  this  addition,  the  original  piers  were  altered  at 

[333] 


CATHEDRAL   CITIES   OF   SPAIN 

the  crossing,  and  the  huge  cylindrical  columns,  which 
are  richly  chased  with  Renaissance  decoration,  substi- 
tuted. One  can  hardly  say  that  Juan  de  Vallejo  has 
spoilt  the  church  by  this  octagon,  for  his  work  here 
would  grace  any  building,  but  all  the  same  I  think  the 
Gothic  of  the  interior  has  suffered  by  the  introduction  of 
his  designs,  and  I  would  sooner  have  seen  the  crossing  in 
its  original  state. 

The  triforium  is  composed  of  wide  bays  with  an  un- 
even number  of  closed  lights  in  each.  A  single  arch,  the 
mouldings  of  which  are  surmounted  by  carved  heads, 
spans  each  group. 

The  clerestory  contains  a  little  modern  glass,  most  of 
the  old  having  been  destroyed  by  a  powder  explosion 
in  the  fort  on  the  hill  above. 

In  the  coro  the  silleria  are  exquisitely  carved;  the 
main  panels  represent  subjects  from  the  New  Testament, 
the  lower,  which  are  divided  by  pilasters  with  ara- 
besques, represent  scenes  of  martyrdom.  Philip  Vigarni, 
who  was  responsible  for  this  fine  coro,  surpassed  himself 
in  some  of  its  decoration,  which  adds  one  more  item  to 
all  that  ought  to  be  thoroughly  studied  in  the  great 
Cathedral. 

On  the  north  side  of  the  High  Altar,  in  front  of  which 
hangs  a  magnificent  silver  lamp,  are  the  tombs  of  three 
of  the  Infantes  of  Castile.    Behind  this,  the  trassegrario 

[334] 


BURGOS 

is  covered  with  well-executed  reliefs  in  white  stone ;  some 
of  this  is  very  soft  and  has  crumbled  away  a  good  deal. 
Every  morning  a  deposit  of  dust  is  swept  up  and  it  will 
soon  be  necessary  to  thoroughly  restore  these  fine  panels 
or  the  designs  will  be  lost  for  ever.  They  represent  the 
Agony  in  the  Garden,  our  Lord  bearing  the  Cross,  the 
Crucifixion,  the  Descent,  the  Resurrection  and  the  Ascen- 
sion. The  three  centre  are  by  Vigarni,  and  the  others  by 
Alfonso  de  los  Rios. 

Nearly  all  the  chapels  are  replete  with  interest,  be  it 
architecture,  tombs,  pictures  or  relics,  but  of  them  all 
the  Capilla  del  Condestable  is  the  grandest.  Built  in 
1487  by  John  of  Cologne  for  the  Hereditary  Constable 
of  Castile,  Don  Pedro  Fernandez  de  Velasco,  it  is  the 
private  property  of  the  Duque  de  Frias.  The  reja,  the 
masterpiece  of  Cristobal  Andino,  bears  date  MDXXIII. 
and  is  certainly  the  finest  in  the  Cathedral.  It  is  a  worthy 
entrance  to  this  magnificent  octagon,  which,  viewed  from 
outside,  rises  detached  from  the  main  building  with  eight 
elaborate  pinnacles  pointing  heavenwards.  The  tracery 
of  the  pierced  ceiling  of  the  lantern,  with  its  gilded 
bosses,  vies  in  intricacy  with  that  of  the  Cathedral  itself. 
There  is  a  double  clerestory  with  sculptured  knights  at 
the  bases  of  the  columns  holding  coloured  metal  banners. 
The  undercutting  of  the  mouldings  in  the  arches  is  very 
marvellous;  the  lowest  course  is  formed  of  detached  fig- 

[335] 


CATHEDRAL   CITIES   OF   SPAIN 

ures  hanging  downwards  and  from  a  little  distance  off 
looks  like  a  piece  of  lacework.  In  front  of  the  retablo 
and  High  Altar  are  the  superbly  sculptured  tombs  of  the 
Constable  and  his  wife.  He  is  in  full  armour,  she  lies 
by  his  side  on  a  richly  embroidered  cushion  with  her 
little  lap-dog  nestling  comfortably  in  the  folds  of  her 
robe  near  her  feet.  The  chapel  teems  with  interest;  the 
wealth  of  red  marble  from  the  quarries  of  Atapuerca 
and  the  very  effective  chequer  arrangement  af  black 
and  white  steps  leading  to  the  High  Altar  give  it 
just  the  note  of  colour  its  whiteness  otherwise  would 
lack. 

Attached  to  the  chapel  is  a  small  vestry  entered 
through  a  diminutive  plateresque  doorway  of  exquisite 
design.  Amongst  other  priceless  relics  the  vestry  con- 
tains a  fine  gold  chalice  studded  with  precious  stones  and 
a  good  Madonna  by  Luini. 

Another  fine  picture,  a  Virgin  and  Child  by  Sebastian 
del  Piombo,  hangs  over  the  altar  in  the  Capilla  de  La 
Presentacion.  In  the  Capilla  del  Santissimo  Cristo  is  a 
very  ancient  crucifix  of  life-sized  proportions.  Tradi- 
tion and  the  vergers  say  that  it  came  from  the  East  and 
was  carved  by  Nicodemus.  The  figure  is  flexible  and 
very  attenuated,  it  is  covered  with  a  buff-coloured  leather 
to  represent  dried  flesh  and  is  very  gruesome.  In  San 
Juan  de  Sahagun  are  six  panels  of  the  fifteenth  century; 

[336] 


;      , '  1  J   ■> ' 


'  '  > , 


BURGOS. 

Arch  of  Santa  Maria. 


BURGOS 

good  specimens  ot  the  early  Spanish  school,  they  repre- 
sent the  Nativity,  Adoration  and  four  scenes  from  the 
Passion. 

The  great  Bishop  Alfonso  de  Cartagena  lies  interred 
in  the  Capilla  de  San  Enrique,  and  his  tomb  is  remark- 
ably fine.  Others  in  this  chapel  and  in  the  cloisters  are 
cut  in  slate  and  have  been  worked  with  great  cleverness 
considering  the  way  in  which  a  blow  splinters  this  ma- 
terial so  easily. 

The  Chapel  of  Santa  Ana,  fortunately  restored  re- 
cently, belongs  to  the  Duque  de  Abrantes,  and  contains 
the  best  retablo  in  the  Cathedral.  On  it  are  displayed 
incidents  in  the  Life  of  Christ  which  spring  from  and 
are  enclosed  by  the  branches  of  a  genealogical  tree.  It 
is  a  quaint  idea  very  well  carried  out. 

It  is  a  difficult  task  to  try  and  give  an  idea  of  the  con- 
tents and  admirable  style  of  all  these  chapels  in  the  space 
of  a  short  chapter;  suffice  it  to  say  that  they  are,  one  and 
all,  worthy  pendants  to  the  rest  of  the  great  church,  and 
exemplify  in  their  contents  the  glorious  age  of  the  ruling 
bishops  and  nobility  of  Old  Castile. 

In  the  south  transept  is  a  wonderful  low  doorway  in 
front  of  which  I  had  often  stood  examining  the  well- 
carved  wooden  panels  on  the  doors  themselves.  It  leads 
into  the  cloisters,  but  it  was  not  until  I  had  become  thor- 
oughly acquainted  with  the  groups  representing  the  En- 

[339] 


CATHEDRAL   CITIES   OF   SPAIN 

try  into  Jerusalem  and  the  Descent  into  Hades  which 
grace  this  portal,  that  I  passed  through.  The  door  dates 
from  the  early  fifteenth  century  and  considering  the 
many  thousands  of  times  it  has  swung  open  and  shut  is  in 
most  excellent  preservation. 

The  cloisters  are  fourteenth-century  work  and  form  an 
upper  storey  to  a  basement  cloister  of  low  arches  sur- 
rounding a  courtyard  which  at  the  time  of  my  visit  was 
undergoing  extensive  repair.  In  the  centre  is  a  huge 
cross;  the  flagstones  of  the  court  were  all  up,  and  the 
bones  from  many  disturbed  graves  were  being  thrown 
into  a  pit.  The  beautiful  cloisters  proper  are  filled  with 
modern  opaque  glass — "  Muy  frio"  answered  the  verger 
to  my  question,  "  Por  que?" — and  no  doubt  it  is  in  the 
winter  months.  But  the  charm  about  a  cloister  is  the 
vista  through  the  arches;  this  Burgos  has  lost  for  the 
sake  of  well-being  of  her  priests;  the  pity  is  that  funds 
would  not  allow  of  better  glass  when  the  utilitarian  as- 
pect demanded  the  shutting  out  of  the  cold  winds. 

The  sacristy  on  the  east  side  of  the  cloisters  is  a  very 
beautiful  early  fifteenth-century  room  with  a  fine  groined 
roof,  the  peculiarity  of  which  is  that  it  has  no  supporting 
columns.  The  half-piers  end  in  corbels  of  hunting  scenes 
and  I  daresay  have  often  recalled  to  many  a  priest  the 
days  of  his  early  boyhood. 

The  Chapter  House,  with  an  artesonade  ceiling,  con- 

[340] 


BURGOS 

tains  some  good  pictures  and  is  reached  through  the  Ca- 
pilla  del  Corpus  Christi.  High  up  on  the  wall  of  this 
chapel,  and  fixed  to  it  with  iron  clamps,  is  the  Cofre  del 
Cid,  a  wooden  coffer  which  the  Campeador  filled  with 
sand,  and  telling  the  Jews  it  was  filled  with  gold,  raised 
six  hundred  marks.  He  redeemed  the  pledge  later  on 
and  paid  up  the  sum  he  had  borrowed.  The  tomb  of 
Enrique  IH.'s  head  cook,  who  is  lying  in  armour  with 
a  sword,  occupies  a  space  on  the  floor.  He  was  not  a  bad- 
looking  man  and  I  daresay  took  his  turn  at  the  enemy 
and  used  his  sword  when  occasion  offered.  Street  writes 
of  these  cloisters — "  I  know  none  more  interesting  and 
more  varied  " — but  I  left  them  and  the  many  fine  tombs 
and  statues  they  contain,  wishing  that  priests  were  not 
mortal  nor  liable  to  chills. 

The  capital  of  Old  Castile  is  a  quiet  little  place  and  I 
felt  I  was  in  a  northern  clime  far  away  from  the  charm 
of  Andalusia  and  the  south.  The  name  Burgos  is  of 
Iberian  origin,  "Briga"  signifying  "a  fortified  hill." 
Founded  as  long  ago  as  884  by  Diego  de  Porcelos,  it  was 
for  many  generations  the  capital  of  Castile.  At  the  mar- 
riage of  Ferdinand  I.  in  1067  Castile  and  Leon  became 
one  and  ten  years  later  the  seat  of  Government  was  re- 
moved by  Alfonso  VI.  to  Toledo.  Serious  troubles  en- 
sued between  the  inhabitants  of  the  two  cities.  Old  Cas- 
tile could  not  brook  the  interference  of  the  great  arch-^ 

[341] 


CATHEDRAL   CITIES   OF   SPAIN 

bishops  of  New  Castile  and  the  loss  of  prestige  attached 
to  royalty  and  its  court. 

In  Charles  V.'s  reign  Burgos  joined  the  Comuneros, 
the  opponents  of  centralised  government,  but  was  wisely 
pardoned  with  other  towns  by  the  King,  who  held  a  court 
in  state  for  this  purpose  in  the  Plaza  Mayor  at  Vallado- 
lid.  As  a  result  of  this  forgiveness  the  inhabitants  erected 
the  fine  entrance  gateway  of  Santa  Maria  of  which  I 
made  a  sketch.  Since  that  day,  except  for  Wellington's 
futile  sieges,  Burgos  has  slept  the  sleep  of  the  just,  and  be- 
ing an  eminently  ecclesiastical  city  will  continue  in  this 
happy  state. 

Much  of  interest  lies  tucked  away  in  the  narrow  streets. 
There  is  the  Casa  del  Cordon,  at  one  time  the  palace  of 
the  Velasco  family,  and  a  royal  residence.  Within  its 
walls  the  Catholic  Kings  received  Columbus  on  his  re- 
turn from  the  New  World,  and  here  was  signed  the  in- 
corporation of  Navarre  with  Castile.  This  fine  example 
of  a  town  house  is  flanked  by  two  square  towers,  with  a 
rope  from  which  it  takes  its  name  carved  over  the  portal. 
The  Casa  de  Miranda,  with  a  noble  courtyard  and  well- 
proportioned  fluted  columns,  near  which  is  the  Casa  de 
Angulo,  a  strong  fortress-like  building.  The  fagade  of 
the  old  Collegio  de  San  Nicolas  is  replete  with  fine  work- 
manship and  the  church  of  this  name  with  tombs.  The 
richly  carved  stone  retablo,  illustrating  events   of   the 

[  342  ] 


11       1 

111        1  '       11 
,111111  1 


^ ' '  1 '  1  1 ' '  ',  •  1  1    1 '. 


lUIllOOS. 

Tlic  Ccipilhi  Mayoy. 


r  c  c   c 


BURGOS 

saint's  life,  is  also  a  work  of  real  art.  Under  the  wall  of 
the  cemetery  stood  the  house  wherein  the  Cid  was  born, 
and  in  the  Castle  on  the  hill,  now  a  ruin,  he  was  married. 
The  nuptials  of  Edward  I.  of  England  with  Eleanor  of 
Castile  were  celebrated  in  this  fortress,  which  can  also 
claim  the  birth  of  Pedro  the  Cruel. 

For  a  provincial  town  Burgos  possesses  a  most  inter- 
esting museum.  Among  the  many  relics  I  saw  was  a 
bronze  altar  font  with  coloured  enamels  of  saints  and  a 
Moorish  ivory  casket,  both  from  the  monastery  of  San 
Domingo  de  Silos.  The  fine  kneeling  figure  in  alabaster 
of  Juan  de  Padilla,  who  lost  his  life  at  an  early  age  dur- 
ing one  of  the  sieges  of  Granada,  is  almost  as  beautiful 
as  that  of  the  Infante  Alfonso  in  the  Cartuja.  Roman 
and  mediaeval  remains,  found  at  different  times  and  taken 
from  disestablished  convents,  added  to  the  interest  of  a 
short  visit.  There  is  so  much  to  see  in  Burgos  and  its 
surroundings,  and  the  seeing  of  it  all  is  so  pleasant,  so  un- 
disturbed, and  so  different  to  the  south,  where  for  ever  I 
was  annoyed  by  touting  loafers  and  irrepressible  boys, 
that  when  I  left  it  was  with  feelings  of  great  regret. 

Across  the  river,  about  an  hour's  walk  one  morning 
brought  me  to  the  Convent  of  Las  Huelgas,  which  is 
still  inhabited  by  shy  nuns.  Founded  in  1187  by  Al- 
fonso VIII.  it  has  always  loomed  large  in  the  history  of 
Castile.     Many  of  her  kings  have  kept  vigil  before  the 

[345] 


CATHEDRAL   CITIES   OF   SPAIN 

High  Altar,  when  receiving  knighthood,  our  own  Ed- 
ward I.  among  them.  Many  royal  pairs  have  been 
wedded  within  the  church,  and  many  sleep  their  long 
sleep  within  its  quiet  precincts.  The  Abbess  was  mitred; 
she  possessed  powers  of  life  and  death,  she  ranked  as  a 
Princess-palatine  next  to  the  Queen,  and  she  was  styled 
"  Por  la  gracia  de  Dios."  Her  nuns  were,  and  still  are, 
daughters  of  noble  houses,  and  some  even  of  royal  birth. 
In  the  chapel  of  Santiago  hangs  a  copy  of  the  embroid- 
ered banner  captured  at  the  great  fight  of  Las  Navas  de 
Tolosa,  a  victory  which  crippled  and  drove  out  the  In- 
fidel from  the  north.  The  original  hangs  in  the  nuns' 
choir,  a  fitting  pendant  to  the  splendid  tapestries  which 
cover  the  walls.  I  was  told  of  other  treasures  invisible  to 
the  eye  of  man  and  once  again  wished  I  could  have 
changed  my  sex  for  a  short  time.  Being  mere  man,  I 
heard  the  gate  shut  as  I  left  the  convent  with  a  rather 
crestfallen  feeling,  so  walked  another  half  mile  on  to  the 
Hospital  del  Rey. 

Alfonso  VIII.  built  this  Hospice  for  pilgrims  en  route 
to  Santiago.  But  little  remains  of  the  original  building, 
though  the  Renaissance  fagade  and  thirteenth-century 
doorway,  with  curious  figures  of  Adam  and  Eve,  repaid 
me  for  my  extra  trudge  and  I  returned  to  my  hotel  with 
the  imagined  slight  dissipated  and  my  amour  propre  re- 
stored. 

[  346  ] 


BURGOS 

My  last  pilgrimage  in  Spain  happened  one  cold  after- 
noon when  I  went  out  to  the  Cartuja  de  Miraflores.  The 
clouds  hung  low  over  the  hills  and  the  damp  smell  of  au- 
tumn was  in  the  air.  The  road  thither  passes  through 
avenues  of  great  poplars.  The  leaves  had  begun  to  fall 
and  it  was  wet  under  foot.  A  slight  drizzle  was  imper- 
ceptibly saturating  everything  and  I  thought  the  time 
of  my  departure  from  sunny  Spain  not  ill-chosen.  De- 
spite all  this,  and  the  depressing  day,  I  can  always  recall 
with  pleasure  the  road  that  my  companion  and  I  trav- 
ersed before  we  passed  under  the  arch  that  marks  the 
monastic  boundary. 

Beggars  accosted  us  at  the  door  of  the  monastery,  for 
once  I  gave  them  alms  and  received  a  blessing.  We 
passed  in,  and  found  ourselves  in  a  pretty  little  courtyard 
filled  with  dahlias  and  other  autumnal  flowers.  The 
bright  colours  cheered  us  a  bit,  the  church  lay  on  our  left, 
we  entered  it  under  a  Gothic  arch.  A  monk  in  the  stalls 
was  at  prayer,  he  also  kept  an  observant  eye  on  the  two 
visitors.  Our  footsteps  seemed  to  sound  intensely  loud 
on  the  stone  pavement,  and  we  spoke  in  very  low  whis- 
pers. The  cold,  whitewashed  walls  and  this  solitary 
figure  droning  out  his  prayers  were  depressing. 

We  furtively  admired  the  finely  carved  stalls,  the 
grand  r.etablo  over  the  High  Altar  with  its  terribly  life- 
like crucifix,  all  the  time  with  a  feeling  on  my  part  of 

[  347  ] 


CATHEDRAL   CITIES  OF   SPAIN 

that  vigilant  eye  boring  a  hole  in  my  back  like  a  gimlet. 
We  next  examined  the  alabaster  tomb,  the  masterpiece  of 
Gil  de  Siloe,  executed  to  the  order  of  Isabella  the  Cath- 
olic, which  stands  in  front  of  the  altar.  Juan  II.  and  his 
wife  Isabella  of  Portugal  lie  side  by  side  clothed  in  their 
robes  of  state.  At  his  feet  are  two  Lions,  at  hers  a  Lion 
and  a  Dog.  I  forgot  the  solitary  monk  and  the  gimlet 
stopped  its  work  as  I  became  lost  in  admiration  while 
following  the  intricacies  of  Gil  de  Siloe's  greatest  pro- 
duction. 

At  the  eight  corners  of  this  magnificent  tomb,  most 
undoubtedly  the  finest  I  have  ever  seen,  and  by  some  con- 
sidered unsurpassed  in  Europe,  sixteen  lions  support  the 
royal  arms,  above  them  along  the  cornice  beautiful  little 
statuettes  stand  under  canopies  which  are  a  marvel  of 
delicate  tracery.  The  embroidery  on  the  robes  of  the  royal 
pair  is  exquisite  and  the  imitation  of  the  lace  work  un- 
surpassed. 

For  a  long  time  we  stood  discussing  and  admiring  the 
marvellous  cleverness  of  the  designer  of  a  monument 
which  is  worthy  of  the  great  and  pious  woman  who 
erected  it  to  the  memory  of  her  parents. 

Hard  by  in  the  west  wall  of  the  church  is  the  tomb 
of  the  Infante  Alfonso,  whose  death  at  the  early  age  of 
sixteen  left  the  accession  vacant  for  Isabella  and  so 
changed  the  history  of  Castile.    It  is  likewise  a  wonder- 

[348] 


BURGOS 

ful  piece  of  work  by  the  same  skilful  hand.  The  young 
Prince  kneels  alone  in  an  attitude  of  prayer  which  gains 
dignity  from  the  half-shadow  thrown  by  the  recess  in 
which  the  monument  is  placed.  The  arch  above  is  deco- 
rated with  a  twining  vine,  while  men-at-arms  support  the 
tomb. 

We  turned  from  the  comtemplation  of  these  two  me- 
morials and  the  monotone  of  the  old  monk's  prayer  filled 
the  church.  I  think  we  both  shared  a  feeling  of  relief 
when  we  found  ourselves  once  more  outside  under  the 
grey  sky,  though  I  shall  ever  remember  the  impression  of 
that  aisleless  church  with  its  magnificent  tombs,  that 
white-robed  monk  with  his  droning  voice,  the  chill  of 
the  autumn  air  and  those  long  lines  of  stately  poplars 
under  which  I  passed  in  my  last  pilgrimage  in  Spain. 


[349] 


Snb^x 


3(nii0X 


Abderrhaman,  mosque  of,   115 

Adrian  IV.,    Pope,   116 

Albomoz,    Cardinal,    tomb    of,    158 

Alfonso  VI.,  329,  330 

Alfonso  VIII.,  345,  346 

Alfonso    de    Cartagena,    Bishop,    339 

Alfonso  el   Catolico,  276;    coSin   of, 

309 
Alfonso  the  Chaste,   305,  309 
Alfonso    the    Learned,    sarcophagus 

of,   15 
Alfonso  de  los  Rios,  335 
Alhambra,   48,   68,   sqq. 

Court    of    Lions,    74 
Almakkari,    historian,   32 
Almanzor,  279 
Alva  Garcia,   194,   197 
Alvaro  de  Luna,  327 
Antequerra,   73 
Arabic  documents,  325 
Aragon,     union     of,     with     Castile, 

94 
Arfe,  silver  monstrance  by,  202 
Arfe,  Juan  de,  325 
Arlanzon,   river,   328 
Astorga,  270,  277 

Cathedral,  270  sqq. 

Historical   sketch,  276 
Augustus,  Emperor,   118 
Averroes,    47 
Avila,  193,  204 

Church  of  San  Pedro,  115,  194, 
203 

Historical    sketch,    193 
Avila,   tomb   of,    203 


Badajos,  Juan  de,  302 
Baeza,  272 

Barcelona,  117,  131,  142 
Cathedral,  132,  sqq. 
Church      of      San      Pablo     del 

Campo,  136 
Church     of     Santa     Maria     del 

Mar,    136 
Church     of     Santa     Maria     del 

Pi,   136,   137 
Historical    sketch,    131    sq. 
Rambla,  141 
Barceloneta,    suburb    of    Barcelona, 

138 
Bartolom^,    and    the    Capilla    Real, 

Granada,  60 
Beatrice  of  Swabia,  sarcophagus  of, 

15 

Becerra,   Caspar,   272 

Beggars,    at    Cordova,    43,    44;     at 

Seville,  44,   54;    at   Madrid,  44 
Bernardo  de    Aragon,    tomb  of,   232 
Berruguete,    carvings    by,    162,    201, 

325 
Boabdil,  figure  of,  at  Granada,  62 
Brutus,    Junius,    founds    colony    on 

the  Turia,  94 
Bull-fights,  at   Seville,  31 
Burgos,  328,  349 

Capilla   del   Condestable,   335 
Capilla   del    Corpus    Christi,   341 
Capilla   de    la    Presentacion,   336 
Capilla  de   San   Enrique,   339 
Capilla    del    Santissimo    Cristo, 
336 


[353] 


INDEX 


Burgos — Continued 

Cathedral,  328    sqq. 
Chapel  of  Santa  Ana,  339 

Church    of     San    Domingo    de 
Silos,  345 

Church   of   San  Juan  de   Saha- 
g"n,  336 

Convent  of  las  Huelgas,  345 

Collegio   de   San   Nicolas,  342 

Historical  sketch,  329    sqq. 

Museum,  345 


Comuneros,  342 
Cordova,  32-47 

Capilla   de   Nuestra   Sefiora   de 
Villavicosia,    36 

Cathedral,  35    sqq. 

Convento  de   San   Jeronimo,  44 

Historical  sketch,  32,  35 

Mosques,  35,  36 
Cornielis,  work  of,  201 
Corre  de  Sol,  Granada,  81 
Cristobal,  carving  by,  at  Tortosa,  115 


Cadiz,   1-9 

Academia  de  Bellas  Artes,  6 
Cathedral,  5,  6 
Historical    sketch,    5 
Mercado,    6 

Csesar,  Julius,  captures  Seville,  10 

Calix   at  Valencia,    103 

Campana,  Pedro,  pictures  at  Se- 
ville,   19 

Cano,  Alonso,  pictures  by,  at 
Cadiz,  6;  at  Seville,  16,  19; 
builds  fagade  of  Cathedral  at 
Granada,  59;  pictures  by,  59; 
pictures  by,  at  Malaga,  88;  fig- 
ure by,   at   Segovia,  215 

Cartuja   de   Miraflores,   347 

Casa  Consistorial,  Barcelona,  137 

Casa   del   Cordon,   Burgos,   342 

Cataluiia,  union  vi^ith  Aragon,   132 

Cervantes,  house  of,  327 

Charles  V.,  palace  of,  81;  arms  of, 
333 

Chartres  Cathedral,  296 

Chirriguera,    High    Altar    by,    185, 
201,    321 

Cid,  the,  93,  280 

Cofre   del    Cid,   341 

Columbus,  monument  at  Seville,  16; 
house   of,  327 


Dalman  de   Mur,   High   Altar   by, 

232 
Damian  Forment,   retablo,   236;   239 
Darro,  river  at  Granada,  48,  50,  53, 

56 
De  Gainza,  Martin,  15 
Diego   de   Porcelos,   431 
Diego   de   Siloe,  plans   Cathedral  at 

Granada,  59;   at  Malaga,  87 
Duque  de  Lerma,  317 

Edw^ard  L,  marriage  of,  345;  346 

El    Calvario,  212 

El    Campanario,   tower  at   Cordova, 

40 
El  Cristo  de  la  Luz,  Toledo,   166 
El    Grao,   port   of   Valencia,   97 
El  Parral,  Segovia,  218 
El   Transito,  Toledo,    165 
Englefield,    Sir   Francis,   326 
Escovedo,  Juan,  211 
Essex,   siege  of  Cadiz  by  Lord,  6 

Ferdinand  I.,  279,  marriage  of,  341 
Ferdinand    and    Isabella,    monument 

at   Granada,  61 ;   portraits,  61,  67, 

316;  arms  of,  317 
Ferdinand    el   Santo,  235,   329,   330 
Francisco  de  Lara,   ceiling  by,   161 


[354] 


INDEX 


Francisco    de    Palenzuela,    tomb    of,      Guadelmedina,   the,  91 
180  Guillermo    BoflFy,    148 

Fruela  I.,  coffin  of,  309  Gutierrez,    Bishop,   306 


Gallegos,   panels   by,   284 

Gaya,    118 

Genii,  river  at  Granada,  53 

Geronimo,  tomb  of,  180 

Geronimo,  279 

Gerona,    143,    151 

Cathedral,    147  sqq. 

Church    of    San    Pedro    de    los 
Galligans,  151 

Historical   sketch,   143  sqq. 
Gibraltar,   84 
Gil  de   Siloe,   348 
Giralda   Tower,   Seville,  20,  23 
Gomar,     Francisco,    work    at    Tar- 
ragona,  122 
Gonzalo  de  Cordoba,  67 
Grado,    Canon    Juan    de,    tomb    of, 

28s 
Granada,  48-82 

Albaicin,  48 

Alhambra,  48   sqq. 

Antequeruela,   48 

Capilla  de  la  Antigua,  60 

Capilla  de  Pulgar,  66 

Capilla  Real,  65 

Capilla  de  Trinidad,  59 

Cathedral,   59.  66 

Church    of    San    Juan    de    los 
Reyes,  67 

Church  of  San  Nicolas,  67 

Church  of  Santa  Anna,  67 

Convent  of  Cartuja,  67 

Convent  of   San   Geronimo,   68 
Greek  remains,  Tuy,  258 
Guadalete,   river  at  Cadiz,  9;  battle 

on  banks  of,  84 
Guadalquiver,    position    of    Cordova 
on,  32 


Hernandez,  230,  321,  325 

Hontafion,  rebuilt  dome  of  Seville 
Cathedral,  19;  Salamanca  Cathe- 
dral, 179;   Segovia,  212 

Hospital  de  Santa  Cruz,  Toledo,  169 

Infante  Alfonso,  tomb  of,  348 
Inigo  de  Mendoz,  tomb  of,   161 

James  T.,  of  Aragon,  armour  of  at 
Valencia,    100;   tomb  of,   122 

Jews   at   Seville,   24 

John  of  Cologne,  329,  335 

John    of    Gaunt,   254 

Jose  Granados,  builds  wejstern 
facade   of   Cathedral,    Granada,    59 

Juan    Bantista    Celma,    253 

Juan,    Prince,   tomb   of   203 

Juan  de  Borgofia,  frescoes  by,  161, 
201 

Juan   de  Castro,   254 

Juan   de  Juni,  321 

Juan  de  Mena,  47 

Juan   de   Padilla,  figure   of,  345 

Juan  de  Vallejo,  334 

Juanes,  Last  Supper  by,   103 

La   Magdalena,   Zamora,   280 

Lanfredo,   Bishop,    115 

La    Peiia    Grajera,   217 

La    Penarala,   223 

Las  Navas  de  Tolosa,  346 
Leon,  286-303 

Cathedral,    292 

Chapel    of    La    Nuestra    Senora 
del  Dado,  298 

Convent  of  San  Isidoro  el  Real, 
301 


[355] 


INDEX 


Leon — Continued 

Convent   of   San  Marcos,  302 
Historical    sketch,   286   sqq. 

Leovigild,  286 

Loja,  72 

Loyola,   relic   of,    137 

Lucan,  47 

Madrazo,  designs  by,  295 
Maestro  Matio,  portrait  of,  252 
Malaga,    83-92 

Alcazaba,    91 

Cathedral,  87 

Historical    sketch,   83    sqq. 

Mercado,   91 
Malagueta,   river,  91 
Manrique  de  Lara,  Bishop,  295 
Maragatos,    the,    272 
Marcellus   peoples    Cordova,    32 
Maria    Padilla,    misttess    of    Pedro 

the   Cruel,   coffin   of,   15 
Maurice,  Bishop,  329,  330 
Mena,  Pedro  de,  pupil  of  Cano,  88 
Mendoza,    Cardinal,   306 
Meshwar,   79 
Miguelete    Tower,    94 
Minho,    river,    258 
Monte    Mauro,   53 
Morales,  47 
Mulhacen,   73 
Murillo,   pictures    at    Cadiz,   6;    San 

Antonio  de    Padua    at    Seville, 

16;    in    Seville    Museum,    30. 
Museum,   Seville,  30. 

Napoleonic  Wars,  97 
Naranco,    314 

Church  of  Santa  Maria,  314 

Nicodemus,   336 


Nicolas  de  Vegara,  carving  by,   162 
Notre    Dame   de    Paris,   296 

Oca,  Bishop,  330 
Onar,    river,    144 
Ordono  I.,  coffin  of,  309 
Ordono   H.,  298 
Orense,  263-269 

Cathedral,    263     sqq. 

Convent  of   San   Francisco,  268 

Historical  sketch,  263 
Oviedo,    304-315 

Capilla    del    Rey    Casto,    309 

Cathedral,    305 

Historical   sketch,  305,  sq. 

Panteon,    Leon,   301 
Parapanda,    Mount,   y^ 
Pedro,  the  Cruel,  coffin  of,  15 

trees  planted  by,  23 
Pedro    Mato,    statue    of,    272 
Pelayo,    313 

Petrucci  Orto,  chalice  by,  202 
Philip  n.  destroys  mosques  at  Cor- 
dova, 35 
Philip  Vigami,  334,  335 
Philip    and    Juana    la    Loca,    tomb 
of,  at  Granada,  60;  coffins  of,  65 
Pisuerga,    river,    316 
Pliny  quoted,  276 
Pradas,  work  of,  at  Granada,  66 

Quintata,    Cardinal,   tomb   of,    268 

Ramiro   II,  279 
Ramiro,  coffin  of,  309 
Ramon    Berenguer    I.,    Count,    131 
Ramon    Berenguer    H.,    and    Emen- 
sendis,  tombs  of,  148 


Nicolas   Florentino,    retablo    by,    184      Reus,    117 

[356] 


INDEX 


Ribalta,    painting    by,    at    Valencia, 

100 

Ribera,   Adoration    by,    lOO 

Roman  remains,  at  Tarragona,   Ii8; 

at    Segovia,    211 
Roman  Sculpture  at  Tarragona,  129 

Salamanca,    173-192 

Capilla  del   Carmen,   180 

Capilla  Mayor,  184 

Capilla    de    San    Bartolome,    184 

Capilla   de  Talavera,    184 

Cathedrals,    173,    178,    183    sqq. 

Collegio     Mayor     de     Santiago 
Apostol,    189 

Convent  of   las   Agustinas 
Recoletas,    186 

Grammar   School,   189 

Historical    sketch,    177,    sqq. 

University,    186 
San  Pedro,  river  at  Cadiz,  g 
Santa    Eulalia,    body   of,    135,   309 
Santiago,  243-257 

Catedral,    244,   sqq. 

Collegio  de   San  Geronimo,  256 

Historical  sketch,  247 
Santos    Cruz,   pictures   by,  201 
Saragossa,  143,  225-242 

Church   of    San    Pablo,   239 

Cathedrals,    228,    sqq. 

El    Pilar,    232 

Historical  sketch,  225  sqq. 

La   Seo,  228  sqq. 
Sebastian  del   Piombo,  239 
Segovia,    205-224 

Capilla  del  Cristo  del  Consuelo, 

215 

Cathedral,  212  sqq. 
Chapel   of   Santa   Cantalina,   215 
Church   of   San   Martin,   217 
Church   of    San    Millan,   216 


Segovia — Continued 

Church  of  la  Vera  Cruz,  217 

Convent    of    Santa    Cruz,    217 

Historical  sketch,  207  sqq. 
Semple,    Colonel,   232 
Seneca,  47 
Seville,    10-31 

Capilla  de  San   Pedro,   16 

Capilla  de  Santiago,  16 

Cathedral,    11    sqq. 

Historical  sketch,  10 

Jewish   quarter,   24 
Sierra    de   Elvira,   ys 
Sierra   Nevada,   73,  82 
Souchet,   sacks   Valencia,  97 

Tarbagona,    1 17-130 

Cathedral,     118    sqq. 

Historical  sketch,    117  sqq. 
Toledo,    152-172 

Bridges,   166,   169,   170 

Cathedral,    154 

Capilla     de     la    Descension     de 
Nuestra    Senora,    161 

Capilla   de   Reyes    Nuevo,    158 

Capilla    de    San    Ildefonso,    158 

Capilla    de    Santiago,    161 

Church    of    San    Juan    de    los 
Reyes,    165 

Church     of     Santa     Maria     la 
Blanca,    165 

Convent    of    San    Domingo    tel 
Real,    166 

Historical   sketch,   152  sqq. 

Jews'   quarter,    165 
Torquemada,   Cardinal,  317 
Tortosa,    110-116 

Carving  at,   by  Cristobal,    115 

Cathedral,     115    sqq. 

Historical   sketch,    in   sqq. 
Triana,  30 


[357] 


INDEX 


Tribunal   de   Aguas,   99 

Tuy,   258-262 

Cathedral,    258    sqq. 

Convent  of  Santa  Domingo,  262 

Historical  sketch,  258  sqq. 

Urraca,  279;   coffin   of,  309 

Valencia,  93-109 

Cathedral,    99 

Church  of   San  Martin,   103 

Church    of    Santa    Catalina,    103 

Convent   del   Carmen,    109 

Convent   Espinose,    109 

Convent  Juanes,    109 

Historical   sketch,  93   sqq. 

Mercado,    107,    108 
Valladolid,   316-327 

Church  of  Santa  Maria  la  An- 
tigua,   317 

Colegiata  de   San  Gregorio,  318 

Collegio    de    Santa    Cruz,    321 

Historical   sketch,   316 

Scotch    and    English    Colleges,- 
326 

University,  325 


Vargas,    Louis    de,    La    Gamba    at 

Seville,    16,    19 
Vega,  the,  92 
Velasquez,    tomb    of,    203 
Vigarney,    carvings    by,    162 
Viladomat,     pictures     by,     at     Bar- 
celona,   136 

"Wamba,"    great   bell,    Oviedo,    310 
Wellington,   Duke  of,   73 

XlMENES,     161,    318 

Yahya,  Moorish  King,  93 

Zamora,  278-285 

Capilla    del    Cardinal,    284 

Capilla   de   San   Miguel,   284 

Cathedral,   280  sqq. 

Church    of    la    Magdalena,    280 

Church  of   San   Pedro  of   Ilde- 
fonso,   280 

Historical   sketch,  279 

Hospital,  280 
Zurbaran,    pictures    at   Cadiz,   6;    at 
Seville,  16,  19 


T  3S8  ] 


THIS  BOOK  IS  DUE  ON  THE  LAST  DATE 
STAMPED  BELOW 


AN     INITIAL     FINE     OF     25      CENTS 

WILL  BE  ASSESSED  FOR  FAILURE  TO  RETURN 
THIS  BOOK  ON  THE  DATE  DUE.  THE  PENALTY 
WILL  INCREASE  TO  50  CENTS  ON  THE  FOURTH 
DAY  AND  TO  $1.00  ON  THE  SEVENTH  DAY 
OVERDUE. 


^  s  tm 

NOV   3   1933 


IVI)\Y0  4  1994 

AUTO  DISC  CIRC    MAV  12*94 


DEC   13  1933 


\m<  30  '40 


wwffiltW 


SEP  2  0 191515  fi 


,(^d^-^ 


LD  21-50'/u-8,33 


i  U      U  /vJV. 


U.C.BERKELEY  LIBRARIES 


CDMb7t,bM0=1 


